


Riders of Balthuman

by stfsbro



Category: Midnight Poppy Land (Webcomic)
Genre: Drama & Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:28:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 94,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26119588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stfsbro/pseuds/stfsbro
Summary: Poppy has had a rough three years living in Narin City. After a horrible breakup and finally quitting a job that didn't appreciate her, she makes the decision to move back to her hometown of Moonbright. Things aren't exactly the same as when she was growing up, but can these new changes lead even better changes in her own life?
Relationships: Tora/Poppy Wilkes
Comments: 389
Kudos: 394





	1. New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Ok, so this is my first attempt at fanfic in years. If you come across this story, I have a few things:
> 
> 1\. Hey, how ya doin? Thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoy it.  
> 2\. I take any and all criticism very well, both negative and positive. I feel like I'm too old to really get upset or hurt by negative comments.  
> 3\. I do have a background in being a waitress. Some of the situations I write about are either personal experiences or those of my friends/coworkers.  
> 4\. I did, and still do, ride for a motorcycle club myself. Been doing it for years. Greatest enjoyment for me is riding.  
> 5\. Absolutely none of this is beta read. If y'all find mistakes, let a girl know. If you're willing to beta read, let a girl know. I'm still getting used to the format of posting, so if you've posted on here before, and you got any tips... let a girl know lol.  
> 6\. I am full time student, so I'll try to post as often as I can. This is my last semester before i get my bachelor's in accounting.
> 
> With all of that being said, we all know this is purely fictional. This is a complete spinoff from the original webtoon. I took a few creative liberties with some of the characters personalities. Not too much, but enough to notice a difference between Lilydusk's characters and the ones we all pull from our imaginations as writers.
> 
> So, hope you enjoy it.
> 
> As per usual, none of these characters belong to me. All ownership belongs to the amazingly talented Lilydusk.

Monday, May 20XX

Summer time in the country is completely different than summer time in Narin City. It’s ridiculously hot and humid, but the absence of cars, buses and people walking down the street gave off a vide of stepping back in time. People moved slower, talked to one another, and were genuinely happier. Except for some. Poppylan Wilkes wished she was home on better terms than her current ones, but she still felt a sense of homecoming stepping off the train in her hometown. Poppy lifted her suitcase over the train’s doorway, stepping onto the platform. Swiveling her head through the crowd, she was looking for one particular person.

“Poppy! Over here honey!” 

Turning to her right, Poppy caught sight of her tiny grandmother, gray curls making her stand out amongst the thin crowd. She rushed over to the smaller woman, enveloping her in the tightest hug, instantly confirming her decision to move back home.

“Hi Granny. Gosh, I’ve missed you so much!”

“I’ve missed you too dear. You ready to go home? I’ve got your favorite brownies waiting for you.”

Poppy nodded, following behind Granny, suitcase trailing behind her. Loading up the car was a simple task, but once in the car, all of Poppy’s thoughts came rushing at her all at once. Granny asked why the sudden move back home and Poppy let it all out.

“Well, the main reason was my job wasn’t what it was all cracked up to be. I was overworked, underpaid, and I honestly didn’t see a chance for me to move up any time soon. I thought about looking for a different company, but nobody would take me with what little experience I had and I was underqualified. Then I found out Julri was cheating on me. I didn’t see a reason to stay in Narin City so I put in my two weeks’ notice at work, packed my things and came home.”

Granny nodded along to her explanation, allowing her to fully express herself before saying anything.

“Well, you know what I always say: good riddance to bad rubbish. That job and that boy didn’t deserve you, neither your talent nor your heart. And yes, I said boy, because the child has yet to grow up seeing as how he’s been treating you. I really do hope you find what you’re looking for soon Poppylan.”

“Thanks Granny, I hope I do too.” Poppy turned her head to look out the window, seeing all the greenery pass by, a sense of surrealness engulfing her. She had been gone for 3 years and now she was basically back to square one. She didn’t feel bad about it, it was just a change in the times for her.

After getting to her grandmother’s house, Poppy sat at the table telling her granny of her plans now that she was back home. She was going to be moving in with her best friend, Erdene, for the time being. She had also helped her get a job at the local bar, being a waitress. She insisted to her granny that the job wasn’t going to be a forever gig, but enough to help her save for an apartment of her own and maybe a car. Once she was settled, she would start looking for another editing job.

“Sounds like you have everything figured out. Are you going to need help with anything?” While asking, Granny had gotten up and began digging in her purse.

“No Granny, I’ll be fine. Things will be tight for a while but I’ll manage.”

“Well, no reason to struggle if you don’t have to, ya know?” Poppy heard a faint ripping sound from the kitchen counter. Her grandmother walked back over, holding a check out for her to take.

“No! Granny I can’t take your money. I’m a big girl and can take care of myself.”

“I should hope so, your father and I raised you to do so. We also taught you not to look a gift horse in the mouth. You will take this check young lady. Use it as a down payment for a new car or somethin’.”

Poppy had tears in her eyes as she stood up to hug her tiny grandmother. “Fine, but I’ll complain about it for the next year.” Laughing, her grandmother stepped back, placing her hands on the child’s shoulders.

“Alright honey. Let’s get you to your friend’s place so you can get comfy for the night. I’m sure that train ride wasn’t very comfortable”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Poppy and Erdene waved goodbye to her grandmother after being dropped off with her best friend.

“Poppy, I can’t believe you’re actually here! Fuck Julri, he was a piece of shit anyways. And I know you’ll find a way better job. Let me get your bags and we can go inside for the night.”

“Thanks Dene. You’re the absolute best.” Following behind her, poppy thought to herself how much her life had changed in the matter of a week. She also had this nagging feeling that something in the future was about to bring in another dramatic change as well.

“So, what’s the plan for the rest of the week for you?” Erdene had set her bag in her spare bedroom, sitting on the bed and patting the spot next to her for Poppy to sit in.

“Nothing really. I guess I can unpack a little bit. I’ll probably go look for a car here soon so I won’t have to rely on you for too much.”

“You could never be an inconvenience. I do all of this because I love you and you’re the bestie.”

“I love you too Dene.” Hugging each other, the girls flop down in bed together and continue talking.

“You can spend the next 2 days unpacking and getting comfortable. Thursday I’m off, so I can take you where ever to look at cars. My manager Gil said you can start working Friday if you wanted to.”

“The sooner I start working, the better. And yeah, I would really appreciate it if you could help with the whole car thing if you could.”

Dene squeezed her harder, signaling her sincerity. “Absolutely girl.”

After another thirty minutes of trash talking both Poppy’s ex and her old job, Erdene called it a night, saying she had to work the morning shift tomorrow and the next day. Poppy said goodnight and grabbed her suitcase, quickly searching for her toiletries bag and pair of pajamas. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she crawled in bed, feeling excitement for the week to come.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Poppy spent her last week of freedom enjoying her time somewhat alone. Her grandmother offered to pick her up for the first two days, so that she could spend time with her at her house while Erdene worked. Poppy told her granny all about the good times she had while she was in Narin City, her coworkers who didn’t take advantage of her, the museums and art galleries she had visited, as well as all the books she had read. Her granny had also helped her look for cars before Erdene stepped in. Even though she didn’t find anything, she at least had an idea of what she wanted. Once those days were over, Poppy had to buckle down for the next three days before she had her first shift at the bar Saturday night. On Wednesday, after hours of driving around to the nearest car malls and talking to too many car salesmen to keep count, Poppy finally found her new car: a 2014 Hyundai Veloster. Driving it back home gave her a sense of achievement she hadn’t felt in a while. She knew things were only going to go up from this point.

Thursday and Friday, Poppy unpacked her belongings and went shopping with Erdene for new work clothes and sensible shoes that allowed for her to stand on her feet for hours at a time. Friday was also her first time meeting her new boss and coworker. Gil was your average looking guy, average build, looks and personality. But something about his eyes made it seem like there was something… off. Maybe it was because they were a clear shade of blue with no depth. Poppy didn’t think too much on it since it was only her first time meeting him, but he seemed pretty nice from their brief introduction. Jacob was sweet, a little on the blunt side, but genuine. He meant what he said at all times, even if it was crass or frank. To include Erdene, that was the entire team. Gil managed and ran the bar and also acted as the cook for the bar’s small menu, Jacob was the bartender, and Erdene and Poppy were the waitresses.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Saturday night was D-Day for Poppy. She was dressed similar to Erdene in black skinny jeans, a plain black V-neck t-shirt and a comfortable pair of Converses. To anyone looking at her on the outside, she looked calm. On the inside was a totally different story; she was a bundle of nerves, hoping that if anybody came into the bar tonight, they wouldn’t be able to sniff out that she was a newbie to all of this.

“Hey Pops, how about riding to work with me tonight?” Erdene was leaning against her bedroom door frame, putting her rings on her fingers.

“I can drive myself, it’s ok.”

“I’m only offering because I know you’re used to going to bed at a decent hour. Working the bar is gonna be a lot of late nights that you’re not used to. I just don’t want you to get off tonight and be too tired to drive home.” Poppy could here the genuine concern in her friend’s voice.

“You know, I didn’t even think about that. Maybe I should ride in with you.”

“I mean, we do live together. I don’t see why we should drive separately.”

“Good point. We’ll take turns driving then. Sound good?” Erdene gave her a thumbs up, smiling big in agreement.

“Sweet,” Erdene spun around, her lilac ponytail swishing behind her. “Let’s get this night goin’!”

Erdene and Poppy left the house, making the short drive to her new place of employment. Their shift started at five in the evening and ended at two in the morning when the bar finally closed. Erdene had told Poppy that nights like these always started slow but eventually picked up throughout the night.

Erdene was absolutely right.

For the first two hours, Gil gave Poppy a brief rundown of what her duties and responsibilities were, which were simple enough: take orders, grab drinks from the bar, take them to the patrons, and clear empty glasses. It was the same for ordering any kind of food as well.

Around 7:30 is when people started trickling in to the bar. Gil had Poppy stay back and watch how Erdene interacted with the customers so she could get a grasp as to what was expected from her.

“I’m sure as you can see, being a waitress is pretty self-explanatory. Just from talking to you, I’m sure you have great people skills, so I don’t think you’ll run into any problems. But if you run into any problems, please don’t hesitate to ask for help. Learning a new job is always difficult in some way.” Gil laid a hand on her shoulder in encouragement, smiling down at her.

His smile doesn’t reach his eyes.

The thought passed by as quickly as it came.

“Thanks Gil, I’ll try my best tonight. I apologize in advance if I get something wrong.”

Softly laughing to himself, he said, “It’s ok. I’m sure you’ll pick up on it in no time.”

Slinging a towel over his shoulder, he walked back into the kitchen, leaving Poppy to stand alone by the bar. She didn’t have much time to herself before she heard the door bell chime as more customers came in.

It was three men who looked sorely out of place for the countryside, despite walking straight through the bar and into a back booth as if they’ve done it multiple times before.

“Poppy.”

The first guy was average height with brownish-orange hair. Nothing really stood out about him, but he was a cute, boy-next-door kind of guy. The man after him had an almost sinister look to him. Taller than the first, lanky and somewhat thin, but muscular build, and hollow bright blue eyes. He had the eyes of someone who didn’t miss a lot.

“Poppy…”

The last guy to follow behind the trio was… huge was understatement. He had to be over six feet tall, he towered over his friends. Long ink black hair in a messy bun, tattoos on almost every inch of bronze skin showing, and… were his eyes yellow? They were. They were a strange shade of gold that she hadn’t seen on anyone ever before. He was as broad as he was tall, shoulders that clearly barely fit in the black t-shirt he was wearing. He was so tall, his legs barely fit under the table, forcing him to catty corner his body to stretch his legs out from underneath.

He looks like a big cat when he sits like that.

“Poppy!”

“Huh? I’m sorry, did you say something?” Poppy turned her head, seeing Erdene standing next to her with her tray under her arm.

“Girl, I’ve been calling you name for almost two minutes now.”

“I’m sorry, I was just looking at those men who walked in. Do you know them?” Poppy looked back at the table to find the big guy looking right at her. There was no specific expression on his face, but his stare made her stomach do this weird flip thing.

“Oh, I never did call and tell you about these guys, did I?” Erdene pulled Poppy a little closer and lowered her voice just a bit.

“Shortly after you left, we started seeing the men ride through town on motorcycles. Nobody ever really said anything, thinking they were just passing through. Then one day, there was a new mechanic shop that opened up and some of the guys started working there. They even opened up a tattoo shop. Soon, there more of them and they kind of just settled into town. Come to find out they’re all part of this motorcycle club the Riders of Balthuman. They don’t ever cause any problems, but I think we’ve all come to a general decision to not get in their way. They’re all nice for the most part. Hell, their president even bought the bar from Gil before he lost it just so it can stay open and they have somewhere to hang out.” Poppy looked back at the table- big guy was still staring at her.

“Have you had any problems with them?” She didn’t want to jump to any rude conclusions, but she had to be safe about it.

“Oh god no. They always come in, grab beers, party all night, and leave good tips. I’ve never had a complaint.” Erdene shrugged her shoulders to punctuate her air nonchalance. “Why don’t you go see for yourself? You go take their orders.”

Poppy took a deep breath before squaring her shoulders and exhaling a long a breath. Grabbing her tray, she walked over to their booth, a ball of nerves settling in her gut.

Stopping in front, she greeted them all. “Hi, I’m Poppy. I’ll be your waitress for tonight. Can I get you guys anything to drink or eat?”

“Well, for starters, you can tell me why I’ve never seen your pretty face before.” The man with hollow eyes looked her up and down, the trail of his gaze leaving a slimy sensation behind.

“I’m new and this is my first night here.”

“You got any plans after work? I know this really cool place, it’s called my apartment, maybe I can take you there after your shift. Show you around the town.”

“Uhm…” Poppy had been hit on before, but something about the way he said these things didn’t seem all too innocent, as if there was a nefarious underlying intent to his comments.

“Scharch.” The guy with the brownish hair called his name in warning.

“What? I was just telling her that I could show her goo-“

A fist banged on the table, silencing Scharch before he could finish.

“Knock it off, will ya? You’re makin’ her uncomfortable.” Big guy was staring at Scharch with cold look. Even Poppy knew he was serious with the was his gaze had fixed upon him.  
The silence hung for a few seconds before an order was given.

“Three Sapporos would be great.” Poppy looked at the first guy, finally noticing that they all had motorcycle vests on with name patches on them.

So, his name Gyu? And the other one is named Scharch. What’s the big guy’s name?

“Ok, I’ll bring those right over!” plastering a smile on her face, Poppy surreptitiously turned her head to catch his name, noticing it was partially hidden by his crossed arms.

“Tora.” She paused before leaving, looking at him in confusion.

“You were trying to see the name on the patch. It’s Tora.” Still no expression on his face, he dropped his arms, revealing that it did indeed say Tora on it.

Nodding, she said, “I’ll be right back with your drinks.” Tray clutched to her chest, she asked Jacob for the beers, her back turned towards the booth.

She could feel him staring at her. Surprisingly, it didn’t feel creepy. It was almost as if he watching her in a way a friend would.

Weird.

Jacob loaded her tray along with coasters for the table. Walking back, she dropped the coasters first, then the beers.

“Thanks Poppy.” She looked to Gyu, finding him to give her a nice smile.

“No problem, let me know when y’all are ready for another round.”

Maybe they won’t be so bad. I think Erdene was right.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As the night continued, more of the motorcycle club had showed up. As busy as it was, Poppy was enjoying her time. Many of the guys she had met throughout the night were nice to her, telling her that it was nice to see a new face around here to help Erdene. She was eventually introduced to a man whom they called their President, Vincent.

“It’s very nice to meet you Mr. Balthuman.” Poppy extended her hand, Vincent grasping it in a firm handshake.

“Please, just Vincent. I don’t need everybody knowing how old I really am.” He barely looked over forty, but Poppy acquiesced in calling him by his first name. She met his son, Quinceton (or Quincey, as he liked to be called), as well others who seemed important enough for introductions, like Claude, Shing Ma, and Tora- whom she had already met.

Without realizing it, Poppy ended up serving the club for the majority of the night. She didn’t mind; it made the night fly by, even though she was having fun. It was when she was clearing off a table that things took a turn she wasn’t prepared for.

Reaching over to grab the last empty glass from the table, she felt something – or rather someone – graze her backside and lean across her back. Straightening up, she turned to face a man, one she had helped earlier in the night. His eyes were glazed over in a drunk fashion, letting Poppy know that he wasn’t exactly as sober as he was a few hours ago.

“Hey, did you need something? Another beer?” Hopefully he just tripped a little bit and it was just an accident, Poppy thought to herself.

“Nah, I’m fine. I’m just wondering if you’re down to go home tonight with a real man.” Despite how stable he was on his feet, his words slurred together horribly. He sounded like a patient that was coming out from anesthesia.

“I’m assuming you’re the ‘real man’ that you were referring to?” The unintentional condescension in her voice made the stranger irate. He had reached for her wrist before she had a chance to step back, knocking the glass out of her, shattering it across the floor.

“What’s with the nasty tone, bitch? Think you’re too good for me?!” As he spoke, he pushed her back a little too hard, causing her to bump into the table and further knocking more glasses to crash to the ground. The noise had caused to bar patrons to stop and stare, but before she could say anything, Tora had stepped in.

He grabbed the man’s wrist in a tight grip, gently pulling her away before cranking his arm behind him. Tora forcefully kicks the back of his, making him tumble in front of a standing Vincent.

Whiskey in hand, he looked down at the man before his feet.

“I don’t have a lot of strict rules for riding with us in this MC. But there is one thing that I absolutely cannot and will not tolerate. And I know it was told to you when you joined. What was it?” Vincent stared down at the man, waiting for a reply.

“Well? I’m an impatient man. What is it?”

“Don’t touch women.”

“Exactly! So, what exactly gave you the idea to think that it was ok to touch Miss Poppy without asking her?”

“Boss, she’s just a waitress! She works in our bar!”

Vincent’s face immediately became a mask of cold indifference. Poppy had never seen someone lose emotion so quick, it was eerie to see.

“I don’t give a fuck who it is or where we’re at. As an MC, we do not lay a finger on women. Especially the ones who work in MY bar. I won’t do this in front of customers, but I will handle you back at the compound. Don’t even think about trying to get away, or I’m sending Scharch after you. Do you understand?”

The bar collectively held their breaths and the guy nodded his head. Tora let him go, shoving him onto the floor in the process. All of the riders got up and headed for the exit, each one dropping cash in the tip jar on their way out. Poppy still hadn’t moved from the spot, glued to the floor worried that if she moved, she would draw more unwanted attention to herself.

Poppy watched as Vincent walked up to Gil, handing him a roll of cash. He said it was for him to use to replace the broken glasses. Tora had walked up behind him without a word, standing close by as they whispered to one another. She looked down at the shattered glass littering the ground at her feet. It reminded her of how her night now felt. Once enjoyable, now ruined and broken.

Poppy looked up in time to see Vincent and Tora head for the door. Tora paused before turning around and walking to wards her. He reached into his back pocket, pulling out his own roll of cash. Peeling off a few bills, he stopped in front of her and put it on the table. He looked her in the eyes and without a word, he left. She looked at the cash and saw that there was three hundred dollars!

Erdene rushed up to her and grabbed her by the arms.

“Holy shit, Poppylan! You ok? You Hurt? Cut?” she glanced at the same money Poppy was still staring at. “He left you three hundred dollars?!”

“Honestly, I have no idea what just happened. All I know is I need a broom to sweep up the glass.” It was a surreal moment for her. She had never been in that kind of position before and she didn’t think she handled too badly.

But why leave such a ridiculous amount of money?

“Forget all of that for now. That’s the first time I’ve seen that statue of man acknowledge anyone outside the club.” Erdene looked at the door Tora had just left through. “You must’ve left one hell of an impression girl. That’s what happens when you’re cute.”

“No, I was just doing my job.” Gil came over and handed Poppy the broom and a pan.

“Let’s go ahead and start cleaning up. The last few customers are paying their tabs now, so we should get out of here at a decent time.” Nodding to Gil, Erdene and Poppy began their night duties. Everything was done, cleaned and locked up by three. Poppy got into Erdene’s car with a final thought about the entire night.

I really hope this isn’t a regular occurrence.


	2. Dirt Roads

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sweet comments and the kudos. They mean a lot to ya girl.  
> Also, thanks for the patience. I have officially started my semester so its about to get hectic. I've got school, a full-time job that I still go to despite Covid, and I'm getting ready to move. ITS A LOT DUDE!
> 
> As usual, All characters belong to Lilydusk.

Wednesday, July 20XX

Thinking back on the last two months, Poppy could honestly say that she was happier than she had been in the previous three years. She had already been working at the bar for a while now, but she always had her eye out for editor positions in the surrounding areas. With no one hiring, or looking for someone with as little experience as her, Poppy knew that this job was going to have to last her longer than she had hoped for.

Really though, she wasn’t too upset about it. The MC came in every Friday and Saturday night and kept her nights interesting. Besides the incident from her first night there, she didn’t have problems with any of the guys. The club always showed a decent modicum of respect to her and Erdene. What really threw her off though was Tora.

The man was the literal embodiment of a large cat. Poppy never really knew when he showed up, but she could always tell he was near when she felt the heat of his stare. She could pinpoint his voice over the crowd, even if he wasn’t yelling. She had never heard him laugh, nor seen him smile, but his eyes always had light behind them whenever she would catch his gaze. He never quite fit in the space he occupied. He was either too tall and had to lean on a pool table, or his legs were too long and he had to stretch out and slouch in his chair to be even somewhat comfortable. But when he stood up, he towered over everyone, especially her. At the end of every night, he would find her and slip a tip onto her tray or on the table she was cleaning, still saying nothing to her on his way out.

With the tips he had been leaving her, along with the relatively nice pay she received from the bar, Poppy was able to save up enough money for an apartment quicker than she had anticipated. She had already spent the majority of her day looking at apartments in the surrounding area with no such luck. She had two more places to see before the end of the day and she was starting to lose hope for her own place.

On her way back into town, Poppy’s car began to suddenly slow down. Pressing further down on the gas pedal did nothing, causing Poppy to put on her hazards and pull over onto the dirt shoulder. She turned off her car and got out, thinking to herself what could possibly be wrong with a car she had just bought. She popped the hood and stared at the engine. Poppy didn’t know much about cars, just the basics; she did know that if she had no power, then she wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. Sighing, she brought out her phone, googling nearby tow companies and began calling around for someone to pick her up.

Every company she called projected an hour or more before they would be able to pick her. Poppy was beginning to get frustrated and was mid dial on her fourth phone call when she heard a rumbling noise behind her. Peeking around the hood of her, she caught sight of two men on motorcycles pulling off helmets. She knew it was Tora before he even took off his helmet, the other was a guy who Poppy wasn’t too familiar with named Smithy.

Poppy hung up her phone and met them at the back of car.

“Hey guys! What are you doing out here?”

Tora stared down at Poppy, still saying nothing as usual. Smithy cleared his throat and answered her question.

“We were just on our way back into town when Big Bro noticed your car and pulled over. What’s wrong with your car?”

Poppy looked back at her popped hood and shrugged her shoulders. “I wish I knew. It just kind of… slowed down on its own.” Tora stepped around her and began tinkering around in her engine compartment. She turned to look back at Smithy as he shrugged his shoulders in confusion.

Tora looked around the corner and called out for Smithy. “Call Gyu and tell him to send the flatbed trailer. Seems like her car went into a limp mode of sorts. Nothing else seems wrong so it’s probably a transmission problem. We’re gonna tow it back to the shop for her.”

“I’ll call him now.” Smithy pulled out his cell, walking back towards his bike while he spoke to Gyu. Poppy heard her hood slam shut and turned to face Tora. Hands on his hips, he stared down at her car in confusion.

“So… you think it’s a transmission thing?”

Tora glanced up at her, cocking his head to the side. “Yeah, I can’t think of anything else that could be wrong. But I’ll be able to tell ya more once we get it to the shop.”

Poppy was starting to feel like this was a sign that she wasn’t meant to have an apartment just yet. She knew transmissions could be expensive. What money she did have set aside would most likely have to go towards fixing her car.

Running her hands across her face, she asked, “Do you know how much it’ll cost me? Maybe a rough estimate?” She pulled in a deep breath and let it all out while turning her head up to the sky, waiting for an obscene number on the price tag.

Tora cocked his head again, looking at the way her neck stretched, exposing the entire column of her throat. With sheer confidence, he said, “Dinner.”

Poppy dropped her head and saw Tora looking out into the distance. He wasn’t staring at her like he normally was, and if she looked close enough, it looked like… are the tips of his ears red? She needed clarification.

“Someone is going to work on my car, at a business, and you want me to pay with food?” Confusion rang clear in her tone, Tora finally looking back to her.

“No, I’m working on your car, nobody else. So, you would technically be paying me with food. Specifically, food you cook.” This man had the nerve, the audacity, to look bashful after making such a request.

_How could I say no to this man when he looks at me like that?_

But she had to say no. And it was for a very valid reason. Even if it hurt her just a little bit to deny him.

“Tora, I would love to say yes, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable bringing you to a house that isn’t mine. I’m still trying to find a place of my own, so I can’t cook for you.”

“I’ll take a late payment. You let me know when ya get your own spot, and I’ll still work on your car.”

She looked closely and found a hint of nervousness in his eyes. “Fine, I’ll do it. One home cooked meal in return for you fixing my car.” Poppy stuck out her hand and Tora grasped it, completely engulfing her hand in his own, sealing their deal.

“Do you have a preference on what you would want to eat?” Poppy knew that whatever he would ask for, she would have a general idea of how to cook it. She figured that whatever meat he chose she would have to get double. He was a pretty big guy, and with how muscular he was, she knew he had to have a pretty high protein diet.

Tora looked off to the side in thought. He hoped she was as good of a cook as he pictured her to be. “I haven’t had good seafood in a while.”

“I think I can come up with something for you.”

“I look forward to it sweetheart.” As Tora finished, Poppy heard a truck pull up behind them. Looking behind her, she could see Gyu in the driver’s seat waving at them. “Gyu is going to load up ya car onto the flat bed. You can ride with me on the bike back to the shop or you can ride in the truck. Up to you.”

Poppy briefly entertained the idea of being on the back of the monster Tora rode. She had always wanted to try it but now wasn’t really the best time. “I’ll just ride in the truck. Are we all going back to the shop or do you have somewhere to be?” She was hopeful that she would be able to spend just a little bit more time with him.

“Yeah, I’ll ride ahead, that way I can get a bay cleared out for ya car.” Tora walked back to the truck, helping Gyu strap it to the car and using the wench to pull onto the bed of the truck.

Ten minutes later her car was loaded. Poppy thought to herself that she was going to have to figure out a way to pay the guys back for helping her out and ultimately saving her a ton of money. Gyu came over and opened the passenger side door for her, holding her hand as she hopped into the high cab. As she was buckling herself in, she saw Tora and Smithy take off ahead.

When Gyu was finally in the truck, she looked to him. “I really appreciate you coming out to help me. it really means a lot.”

“Not a problem Pops. A lot of the guys would bend over backwards to help you and Erdene out if y’all ever needed anything.” Gyu shot her a bright smile before he turned the truck over, pulling them back out onto the empty road that led back into Moonbright.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Despite being back for a couple months now, Poppy hadn’t had a chance to re-explore her hometown. Pulling up to the mechanic shop, she saw that it was a relatively new building that wasn’t previously there when she was growing up. Hoping down from the cab, she saw that many of the guys that rode for the MC were here. She saw Tora come out of one of the empty stalls and start unstrapping her car.

As she walked up to him, she said, “You would think with how scary you guys look, you would be something illegal rather doing ordinary jobs like being mechanics.” The few men who were loitering around stopped, while Tora stood up straight, looking at her with what looked like hurt in his eyes.

Realizing what she said, Poppy felt the blooming of a blush spread across her face. “I’m sorry, that was really rude. I’m sure you’re all very well-to-do, upstanding citizens and uhm… I’ll just go wait inside.” Ducking her head, she rushed past people and walked into the waiting room, standing in front of the counter. While mentally berating herself, she didn’t notice Quincey had walked out from the office behind the counter.

“Hey Poppy dear! What brings you to our neck of the woods? Are you perhaps looking for a stoic man of a giant?” Poppy looked up, finally seeing him in front of her. If anyone looked as out of place as she did among the people here, it was Quincey. He always had a flare about him, whether it be how he talked or how he dressed. Today was no different. Quincey had on teal short sleeve button down shirt with the first three buttons undone, his signature cross earring in his ear, khaki Bermuda shorts and white canvas sneakers. His ice blonde hair was coiffed to perfection with a fresh fade, which accentuated his scar over his right eye. Quincey peeked around Poppy’s head to see some people helping Tora unload her car.

“What’s the matter with him? He looks more dour than usual.”

Poppy turned to look at Tora. To someone who didn’t know him, he would have looked like he was focused on the task at hand. To her, and apparently Quincey as well, Tora’s face was more pinched.

_I think I hurt his feelings with what I said._

“How would you hurt his feelings? Everybody knows Tora doesn’t have any real feelings.” Quincey knew that Poppy was unaware of how Tora saw her. As far as anyone knew, Tora didn’t show interest in anybody. Rumors were constantly going around within the club, saying that he was either gay, or Tora was secretly seeing Quincey since they were always together. _Love the big lug, but even if he did swing that way, he is entirely too much for me and my delicate tastes,_ Quincey thought to himself. Tora had never noticed but Quincey knew he had a thing for the tiny brunette. Every time they were at the bar, he looked for her as soon as he walked inside. He ignored all of the girls that threw themselves at him, always has, but when Poppy gets even remotely close to him, he hones in on her and never looks away. And the tips! He always tipped the bar as a collective at the end of the night. Poppy was the only one to get a personal tip from the man though. For her to claim that she hurt his feelings would be a stretch.

“No, I said something very rude outside and I didn’t mean it. I think Tora took it a little personal. He’s sensitive.”

Quincey was utterly confused. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same man? Because as far as I know, Tora has taught himself not to care about what others think or say about him.”

Before Poppy could respond, Tora walked inside, taking up what little space was left within the office. Tora and Quincey stared at one another over her head, a silent conversation passing between the two.

“Princess.” Tora’s voice was curt, belying the irritation in his voice.

“Well, that’s my cue. Poppy, my dear, it was great seeing you. I have to get back to work now. Toodles!” Quickly making his exit through the back door, Tora and Poppy were left alone for the first time.

Sensing the tension, Poppy attempted to divert the situation. “So, what now?”

Tora looked down at her, shoving his hands in his pockets and feeling the beginnings of headache start behind his left brow. “Ya car is in the bay now. I can start working on it tomorrow. It’ll be a few days, so you’re gonna have to find either a loaner or catch a ride to work with Erdene. I’m free right now so I can take you wherever you need to go for today.”

“That’s very sweet of you Tora, but I still don’t think riding on the back of your bike is a good idea right now.”

Rolling his eyes, he replied, “I do actually own a car ya know.”

Embarrassment seemed to being running rampant with Poppy today. “Oh, ok. I mean, if you wouldn’t mind, I still have two more apartments to look at.” Turning towards the back-door Quincey had recently walked through, Poppy followed Tora through a series of short hallways that eventually let out into what would be the employee parking lot behind the building.

Tora pulled out a set of keys, pushing the unlock button to light up the headlights of a red Subaru. Nonchalantly, he walked over to the passenger side, opening up the door for her. Poppy was pleasantly surprised that he would go out of his way to do something like that for her.

“I may be a thug who rides a Harley, but I do have manners. Ya don’t have to look so damn surprised.” Looking at him, Poppy could see the irritation in the lines of his face. Her father and grandmother had raised her better than to judge someone based off of what they look like. Growing up, kids bullied her for being so short. When she hit high school, all the girls were going through puberty and beginning to look like women, while Poppy was stuck with baby weight, chunky cheeks, and no more growth spurts. She eventually got over it once she graduated and moved out of her small hometown. Looking back, she was doing what those kids did to her, and she was aiming it at Tora.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I have no right to judge or stereotype you.”

Tora stared down at her. She looked genuinely regretful for the way she was looking and casting him. He understood where she was coming from, the way she was thinking, and the thoughts she was having. He had been judged and scrutinized his whole life. He was just hoping that for once someone like Poppy would see him differently. He wanted her to like him, to want to be around him just because. Hell, he wanted things with her that he had never thought of before with anyone. He had been able to get to know her a little better over the last couple of months and there wasn’t a single thing he didn’t like about her. Mind you, it was only surface shit that he could gather from the nights at the bar, but Tora had decently high hopes for something a little more personal with the tiny woman.

But he knew that jumping at her with his attitude didn’t help to paint him in a better light. He should be used to the snap judgements, and that gave him no reason to bark at her the way he did.

“Nah, I’m sorry sweetheart. My attitude isn’t the best sometimes.”

“Well, let’s move on from this point with better attitudes and less judgey comments, hmm?” Poppy stuck her hand out as a way to “seal the deal” with Tora. He reached out and grabbed her hand in his. She noticed how enormous his hand was compared to hers and had to laugh to herself about the juxtaposition.

“Alright, now that all of the drama is settled, you ready to go apartment hunting with me?”

“Ready whenever you are sweetheart.”

Poppy and Tora spent the better part of three hours looking at the last two apartments that were on Poppy’s list. The first few she had looked at earlier in the day were missing something or another and Poppy just couldn’t see herself living in them. The last one they stopped to see though was almost exactly what she was looking for.

Tora was the only one who had a problem.

“Ya really think that last apartment was good enough for you?” Tora had just pulled out of the complex’s parking lot when he voiced his concerns. They had a twenty-minute drive till they were back at Erdene’s house.

“There was nothing wrong with it. It had the space, the kitchen, a balcony with decent room. Those were all things that were on my list of must have’s. It’s not your apartment, but what didn’t you like about it?”

Tora glanced at her from the side of his eyes, mainly focusing on the road. “Sweetheart, there was zero security there.”

“Yes, there was. The door had two deadbolts and a regular lock, the door into the building requires either a code or a buzz from a tenant, and there’s a gate guard.” Poppy couldn’t think of an apartment complex that was any safer than that.

“The guard wasn’t even in the guardhouse while we were there. I checked when we got there and when we left. Plus, he’s useless ‘cause I can hop that short ass retaining wall real easy.”

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”

“And just because I shouldn’t doesn’t mean I can’t. The locks on ya door are simple and I can pick them in less than five minutes. And if you decide to get that unit, I can scale that building easily and pick the cheap lock on the sliding door.”

Poppy stared at Tora wondering how he gathered all this information so quickly. It startled her with how easily he saw all of these things being done as well. She knew that he had some kind of nefarious past, but she didn’t think it had warped his way of seeing things as simple as some locks and a gate guard.

“If it bothers you that much, I won’t get that unit.”

Tora knew she felt upset with the way he told her these things, but it was disappointment that killed him on the inside. She may not know it now, but he only wanted her to be safe in everything that she did.

“It’s not that I don’t want ya to get the unit. You’re a grown woman who can make her own decisions as she sees fit. I’m just being realistic with you.”

“I know you care, Tora. It’s just that I don’t want to be a burden on Erdene or much longer.”

“I get it, I really do. I doubt Erdene sees you as a burden though. If you decide to get that apartment, I’ll install better locks and put a grille on your balcony door. Gives you better security and me a peace of mind. Sound good to you?”

Poppy turned to Tora with a bright smile on her face. She reached over the center console to wrap him in a hug that filled Tora with a warmth he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

“Oh my goodness Tora! You’re the best you know that? I appreciate you helping me out all day today!”

Tora reached up to pat her arm in acceptance of her show of affection. After she settled back in her seat, she happily bounced around until they arrived back at Erdene’s place. Erdene was sitting on her front porch when the two had showed up, confusion clear across her features.

Poppy grabbed her purse from the floor while Tora got out to open her car door.

“Thanks again for everything Tora. It was fun hanging out despite the circumstances.”

“Any time sweetheart. I’ll keep ya updated on your car. Let me know when you decide to move so I can help with that.”

Poppy knew he was sincere in his offer to help. It made the big guy even more likeable.

“I will. See you at the bar Friday?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” He reached up to ruffle her hair before walking back around his car. As he was leaving, Erdene walked up behind Poppy, a light cardigan hanging off her shoulders and a glass of wine in her hand.

“Hi Dene. Have a good day at work today?”

“Oh no miss ma’am. We’re not talking about me. You wanna explain to me why Tora just dropped you off in his car? And why you two were even together to begin with?”

Poppy regaled Erdene with the catastrophe that was her day. From her car breaking down, to Tora helping her around town to look for her own spot. All the while Erdene was sipping from her wine glass almost nonstop.

“So, you’re telling me… that he just volunteered his WHOLE day… to hang out and help you?” Her eyes had become wider with every part of her question.

“Well when you put it that way…”

“I see nothing wrong with it. I think you need to put yourself back out there after what Julri did to you.”

“That’s not what that was! He was just being a gentleman and helping me out with my car and stuff.” Poppy could feel the heat begin to creep up her cheeks.

“Whatever the case may be, I think you two are good for each other. Not really surprising though with the way he watches you every night at the bar.”

Poppy’s face was redder. “He does not watch me like that.”

“Ha! You don’t see it, but everybody else sure does. Trust me. That man has it bad.”

“Yeah whatever. Let’s go inside now, I’m hungry.” Poppy snatched the wine glass from Erdene’s hands. She had every intention of having a few glasses herself before the night was done. Thinking about what Erdene had said, Poppy couldn’t fathom a man like Tora being interested in a girl like her.

A girl could hope and dream though.


	3. Omen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still much appreciation for all of the kudos and lovely comments. They mean a lot to ya girl. I think starting this chapter, or the next, many characters won't have the exact same personality as we have seen in the webtoon so far. The basics are there, just with some tweaks.
> 
> As per usual, I have no claim/right to these characters; I just like playin with em and makin em uncomfortable lol. They all belong to the incredibly talented Lilydusk.

Tuesday, July 20XX

It had already been a week since Poppy let Tora start working on her car. As much as it bugged her to be without a car again, she couldn’t complain too much. She was basically getting her car fixed for free. All she had to do was cook for a man who looked like he ate his weight in whatever food he was partaking in. As comical as it sounded, she was really excited to cook for him. Her previous attempts to cook for Julri were always shot down with either snide remarks at how childish her dishes were, not needing to bother when they could just go out, or he just didn’t want what she had decided to cook. She may be young and enjoy the more childlike things in life, but they brought her happiness that other aspects in her life didn’t. Looking back on how she had spent the last three years of her life was depressing to say the least. She worked herself to the bone to impress people in a company that didn’t care about her and took advantage of her naivety. Her ex-boyfriend never felt the need to show her off. In fact, it was the exact opposite; he refused to let her meet any of his friends, he always went out alone, and he basically forced her to change parts of her personality to fit his expectations.

_Holy cow, Julri was a piece of shit._

Shaking her head clear of her thoughts, Poppy continued to help Jacob clean the glasses before the evening rush.

“Sweetheart.”

Startled, Poppy turned around to see Tora leaning across the bar. She could never get over how good looking he was. Wearing a simple black t-shirt, his vest, hands in his jean pockets, and his hair in a mess of a bun displaying the honey color of his eyes, the man screamed casual.

“Hi Tora. What are you doing here?”

Tora sat down on one of the vacant bar stools, propping his arms across the bar top. That simple movement caused the muscles in his arms to flex, stretching the sleeves of his shirts to the maximum and flashing his tattoos.

_I hope I’m not drooling._

“I wanted to stop by and let ya know your car was done. I fixed some other things on your car as well since they were gonna have to get done soon anyways. You can stop by the shop whenever ya want-”

Before he could finish, Tora heard an ungodly screech come from the woman who was supposed to be in front of him. Without warning, he felt her body smack into the side of his, almost knocking him off balance. She had somehow wrapped both of her short arms around his large torso and was standing on the bottom rung of the stool to reach up to him.

Tora had no idea how to react to display of affection so he simply sat there. At the last second, he cautiously laid his head against the crown of her own, softly inhaling the scent of her floral shampoo.

“Thank you so freakin’ much Tora! Oh my goodness, I’m so excited to get my car back!” She leaned back enough for Tora to see the grin splitting her face.

_She’s so damn beautiful._

Clearing his throat, Tora said, “It’s not a problem Bobby. It was an easy fix.”

“Well good news for you, I’ll be moving into my new apartment next week. So, you’ll be getting your dinner payment sooner rather than later. I didn’t forget that you wanted seafood.” The light in Poppy’s eyes made Tora’s heart clench. There was something about this little spitfire of woman that just did it for him and Tora really wanted to find out what it was.

Both Poppy and Tora were oblivious to the watchful eyes of Erdene, pretending to write in her notepad, and Jacob, who had been cleaning the same glass for a few minutes, as they observed the interaction between the unknown lovebirds.

“Bet you an entire paycheck they get together in the next three months.” Erdene stuck her hand out to Jacob with the hopes that he’ll take her up on the friendly private bet.

“There’s no way. Tora’s been coming to this bar for the longest time and beating off women and men left and right. Poppy is beautiful, but I don’t think she’s enough to catch his eye.” Jacob crossed his arms across his chest. Looking at the two for face value, they were polar opposites. Poppy was rainbows, sunshine and unicorns. Tora was death, darkness and hell on two wheels. It was when Tora ran his hand down Poppy’s arm and grabbed her hand that Jacob began to second guess his statement. “Full paycheck, but I give it to the end of the year. Poppy might try to win him over, but Tora won’t get his head out of his ass quick enough to see it any time soon.” Jacob reached for Erdene’s hand, grasping it and confirming their bet.

Poppy looked down at Tora’s hand lightly wrapped around her own. It still baffled her when it came to their difference in size.

“Are you gonna need help moving your stuff to ya new place?” Tora was bending down slightly to catch her eye, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb across her wrist. When Poppy looked up, she realized how close they really were. She took a step back and let go of his hand to give her a chance to think clearly.

“Uhm… yeah. Yeah, I’m going to need some help. It’s not much, but it’s enough to make two trips if I use just my car. I don’t have any furniture so there won’t be any heavy lifting.”

“That’s fine, I’ll still help if you want me to.” Tora looked bashful when offering help. It was kind of cute. Poppy didn’t think that there would be anything to make this man uncomfortable, let alone look bashful.

“You really are sweet Tora. Thank you for helping me so much these past few months.”

“Anything for you sweetheart.” Poppy had never noticed, but when Tora smiled, he had dimples. And they were obscene. They were deep, perfectly positioned and made him look younger.

“I gotta go. I’ll be back Friday as usual.” He reached up and ruffled the top of her head, making her own messy bun messier.

“Enjoy the rest of your week Tora. And thanks again!”

Tora waved his hand behind his back while walking out the door. Before the door fully closed, Erdene was hot on her tail, salivating at the chance to pepper her friend with questions.

“So…?” Erdene looked hopeful at the fact that she was about to get juicy details, but she was sadly mistaken.

“So, nothing. He was just here to tell me my car was ready. You want to take me after work to pick it up?”

Erdene frowned and released a disappointed sigh at the lack of romantic information from her best friend. “Yeah, I’ll take you. Since you don’t wanna give me any juicy deets, I’ll just go bug Old Man Sanders about his recurring problems with his wife.”

“Yeah, you go do that Dene.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The following days were a blur. Between packing, working, and life in general, Poppy was exhausted. She barely realized it was Friday until the MC starting pouring in to the bar. Poppy was behind the bar when she felt the air change around her. She knew who to look for and found him in the corner at a table with Gyu, Quincey and Scharch. After a quick contact of the eyes and a gentle head nod, Tora looked back to his friends. As much as she wanted to, Poppy didn’t have the time to say hi to any of the guys, especially Tora. The night seemed rowdier than usual, and it looked like there were more riders than just the local MC; the waves of men and some women coming into the bar seemed nonstop.

The crew had been going nonstop since early evening. Gil had no choice but to stay in the kitchen with as many people who were ordering food. Jacob was constantly on the prowl, back and forth from one end of the bar to the other, catching customers and making sure their drinks stayed full. Erdene and Poppy were flitting all throughout the bar, serving customers and chatting briefly with the regulars. Soon, there happened to be a slight lull in demand from the patrons which was enough for Poppy and Erdene to catch a breather, even if only for a few moments.

“Holy shit, I haven’t seen the bar this busy in a long while!” Erdene took a cloth from her back pocket and gently dabbed the sweat from her brow and wiped down her neck. As nasty as she might have felt, she still looked beautiful in her halter top and high waisted jeans. Her lilac hair started down her back at the beginning of the night, but with how hot it got so quickly, she soon tied her hair into a top knot.

“Why does it seem like there’s way more people here than normal?”

Poppy had been keeping her eye out all night and seen that there were quite a few faces she didn’t recognize. The one thing they did have in common with the MC was that they also had on leather vests, just with a different patch on the back.

“There’s another motorcycle club in town. They’re visiting from wherever they’re from. It’s not totally uncommon, it just doesn’t happen very often.” Poppy nodded her head, seeing that it all made sense. There were tables that had both Balthuman riders and the visitors. There didn’t seem to be any palpable tensions, so maybe this was a friendly visit. She had seen a few men, obviously not Balthuman, spare Erdene and herself some lingering glances, but nothing ever came from them.

Poppy heard her name and Erdene’s being called from two different places within the bar and the girls knew their short-lived break was over. Plastering a smile on her face, she took off to continue the long night she had ahead.

It was halfway through the night when things got testy. A lot of the riders had taken to the outside deck in the back, making more room in the bar, and some were out in front smoking. As hard as she tried to not pay it any mind, Poppy had been aware of Tora all night. Every chance she got she stole a glance at him, only to be met with a golden gaze right back. Her and Erdene had loaded drinks from the bar when she heard a chair clatter to the floor. In the mirror behind the liquor she could see Tora with a guy hemmed up against the wall. Gyu and Scharch were behind him while Vincent sat calmly in a chair at the table beside them. Looking unamused and disgruntled, he leaned towards the man beside him and spoke words no one could hear. Everyone within the bar had gotten quiet while staring at the situation unfold.

“I want ya to clearly repeat what ya just said to me.” Poppy knew Tora had a temperamental personality, but she didn’t think that someone who had no sway over him could say something to get a reaction like this from him. She had seen Tora upset before when they first met. His reaction tonight was entirely different than before. From across the room, Poppy could see the vein in his forehead, the strain in his neck, the tension in his shoulders. She knew that something was going to happen if someone didn’t stop it. The guy laughing in Tora’s face definitely didn’t make matters any better either.

“Why do you give a fuck what I said? Does she belong to you?” He wrapped his hands around the arm that hand him against to the wall trying to pull Tora off of him. “If that tiny little brunette bitch ain’t got a property patch then she’s just free pussy. And I wouldn’t mind takin’ a shot at it. Betcha’ I’d have her screamin’ my name in minutes too.”

“You fuckin piece of-” Tora cocked his arm free arm back to punch him in the face while other men stood up out of their seats in preparation for the brawl that was about to take place.

“That’s enough!” Tora looked back at Poppy with the rage of bull. She could see that he was struggling to not hit the man in front of him, breathing heavily and vibrating with energy desperate for release. “If he’s got something to say, he can say it to my face. Obviously, he’s too much of a coward to talk to me since he hasn’t said a single word to me all night. But if all this drama is going to lead to a fight, you can take that outside. I won’t let you ruin everyone’s night.”

Poppy cocked her head and stared off at Tora. He knew there was no use fighting her, but how could she just let this shit slide? If what he said bothered him so much, he had to upset her too, right?

Vincent stood up from his chair with a smirk across his lips and a glacier cold gaze. “Well, you heard the lady. Take the pissing match outside boys.” He leaned back down to speak to the other gentleman again who nodded and stood with him. He looked to the man being held by Tora, “Yadori, I swear to fuckin god. If this man doesn’t kill you, I will.”

Poppy felt a shiver creep down her spine, a sense of dread spreading down her limbs. As Tora walked by her, following Vincent, she reached out and grabbed his arm. He stopped and turned to face her. Tora knew he still looked pissed with his fists balled up at his sides; hell, if it wasn’t for this hamster right here, he would most definitely have already beaten the douche bag’s face in by now. When Poppy latched onto his arm, he felt some of the rage dissipate. There was something about those eyes of hers that just sucked him right in and cleared his thoughts to nothing but her.

_I don’t know what it is about this girl… but she scares the fuck outta me. You would think someone her size wouldn’t phase me…_

“Please don’t get in any trouble on my behalf.” Tora grabbed her hand and gently pulled it from his arm. He squeezed her hand in reassurance and walked out the bar. Watching Tora leave, knowing he was about to fight someone for her, gave Poppy this weird sense of discomfort… and pride.

The rest of the patrons of the bar slowly dispersed, returning to their previous perches and conversations within the bar. Erdene came up to Poppy and laid a hand on her shoulder. She looked to her best friend and gave a reassuring smile. As she walked away, Poppy thought to herself that the man outside was a force of nature if something like a few words about her set him off this much. Vincent didn’t look too thrilled either after he heard what he had to say and the man with him looked as if his whole night had been ruined.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was almost thirty minutes later before Poppy saw Tora come back in with Vincent and their visitor. Although he tried, Tora couldn’t hide the blood of his cracked knuckles and the specks of it on his neck and face. She looked for her boss, finding him next to Jacob behind the bar clearing out the overflowing tip jar.

“Hey Gil. I’m going to go take my break now if that’s alright with you.”

Gil didn’t even look up from the cash he was counting in his hands. “Yea Pops, go for it.”

Poppy set down her tray and towel, beelining for Tora who took up residence in the corner he was previously in. Vincent noticed her first, smiling at her and nudging Tora in the shoulder. He looked up from the empty glass in front of him and sat up straighter in his chair.

The closer Poppy got, the more disheveled he looked. There was a little more blood than she had originally thought and she could see that most of it probably wasn’t his. The neckline of his shirt had been stretched and more of his hair was out of his signature bun than in it. His eyes still had an animalistic glint and were clouded over from his anger.

“You want to come to the back with me?” She held out her hand, Tora looking at it as if it were a foreign concept to him; someone lending a helping hand to him. He looked back up to Poppy with a face of hesitancy.

“Are ya really giving me a choice?” The sarcasm in his question made Poppy narrow her eyes in irritation.

“That’s up to you. You can say yes or no. I’m just trying to help, but if you want to be an asshole about it, that works too.” Poppy dropped her hand and began to leave when she heard a smack and Tora stood up behind her.

“Fine, I’ll go.” Looking over her shoulder she saw Vincent laughing to himself and Tora looking down at the ground like a reprimanded child, rubbing a spot on the back of his head.

Poppy always knew that Tora was big. Not just big, but huge. He had at least a foot in height on her, and she didn’t even want to guess on his weight. He was solid. But having him follow behind her to the employee bathrooms made her feel extremely small. Not purposefully, but he loomed over her, and his sour attitude didn’t help. Pushing open the door, she stood to the side allowing him to follow in behind her. She closed the door and locked it for privacy, staring at him take up all of the space in the cramped bathroom by just being here.

She walked up to him, gently pushing him onto the closed toilet seat lid and reached over him to shelf to grab the small first aid kit. When she put it on the counter, Tora tried to stand up and push her out of the way.

“Not gonna happen Bobby. ‘Preciate it but I’m not about to let ya clean me up.”

“Now is when you don’t have a choice. Take a seat or I’ll make you sit.” Standing toe to toe with Tora was not what she had planned when she brought him back here, but she would if he pushed her to. She wouldn’t budge from her spot. “And my name isn’t Bobby.”

Tora dropped back down on the toilet, shock settling into his features. “If I let ya clean these baby ass scrapes, I get to call you Bobby.”

“This isn’t a negotiation.”

“It is now.” Poppy stared at Tora and finally sighed in resignation. She rolled her eyes as she grabbed some paper towels to wet them. After wringing them out, she gently reached around his head and placed her hand on the back of his neck.

“Look at me.” Tora lifted his head just a bit and Poppy began to gently wipe away the blood from his neck. The act was unintentionally intimate; standing within his space and between his legs, skin to skin contact, shared breaths as she cleaned the crest that adorned his neck. He closed his eyes and reveled in the touch of a woman who had no other objective other than to take care of him. The cause of some thought or force, Tora lightly placed his hands on the back of Poppy’s thighs, imperceptibly pulling her closer.

Poppy briefly paused in her cleaning, noticing the change in Tora’s demeanor. She didn’t want to ruin the moment so she moved the paper towel to wipe around his face with the same care she gave to his neck. Once she was satisfied, she opened the first aid kit and found the antiseptic spray and cotton pads.

“Tora, I need your hand now.” He let go of one leg and brought it up around her torso. Poppy sprayed the antiseptic spray on a pad and began to clean around his knuckles, taking care not to snag on the cracked and lifted skin.

“You really know how to impress a girl with brute strength huh?”

Tora cocked his head, “I can impress ya with my c-“

“Way to ruin the moment! Perv.”

“I was going to caring personality. Where was your mind at Bobby?”

Poppy could feel the flush take over her face. “It was right where it needed to be.”

“Sure it was,” Smirking up at her, he knew the train of dirty thoughts her mind was going down. “Ya didn’t need to do all of this for me. I woulda taken care of it when I left.”

“No,” she paused in her task. “I’m doing this because I need you to know I appreciate what you did for me. I didn’t hear what he said the first time, but everybody heard when he repeated it loud enough the whole bar to hear. Although it looked like it upset you more than it did me.”

“I don’t take well to disrespect.”

“Clearly. Even though you didn’t have to, you stood up for me. That’s why I’m doing this. I mean, it’s the least I could do after the shit you had to hear.” She reached back and peeled his other hand away from her thigh. She went through the same process as before and spread an ointment over the worse cuts.

“You remind me of a hamster with really big balls, ya know that? I didn’t think you knew any curse words.” Poppy ignored him as she put away the first aid kit and cleaned up the mess she had made.

After she threw away the bloody paper towel, she turned around and leaned against the counter with her arms crossed. “What did he say the first time?”

“What are ya talkin’ about?”

“Don’t play dumb Tora. It’s not a good look on you. What did he say to make you grab him by the neck of shirt and put him up against the wall?” She held her gaze against Tora. At this point in their conversation, she refused to back down. Tora had a different idea. He clenched his jaw and looked down at the cracked and stained tile of the bathroom, toeing at a chip by his boot.

“He said some unsavory shit that I’m not repeatin’ to ya. All that matters is that it was taken care of and he won’t be a problem anymore.” Emphasizing his standpoint, he crossed his arms, mirroring Poppy’s position, but stood taller and firmly planted his feet.

Poppy rubbed her forehead in irritation. Over the last few years, she had learned when to push for information and when to stand down. With Julri, she could always push to an extent before he would catch an attitude and start an argument. With Tora, Poppy didn’t get very far before he shut down. This particular situation was understandable and she didn’t want to further upset him when he had just gotten to a point of what she thought of calmness.

“Fine, I’ll let it go.” Pushing herself off the counter, Poppy shoved her hands in her pocket. “Just know that I really and honestly appreciate what you did tonight. I may not completely agree with the solution, but I get it.”

Poppy brushed past Tora on her way to the door. He reached out and grabbed her hand before she could open the door.

“Thank you. For the patch and clean up.”

“No problem tiger.” She softly squeezed his hand before letting go and bursting their bubble of rare intimacy, going back out into the deafening noise of the bikers and women all strewn throughout the bar.

For a brief moment, Tora had followed behind her. Seeing the way she switched from caring Bobby to bubbly and chatty Poppy further incited the rage that had previously been quelled. The way that fuckin asshat spoke about her had made Tora act like he had never heard other bikers degrade a woman before. He had never been accepting of the way some of these old timers talked about their women, or females as a whole, but the things that motherfucker was saying had crossed a line Tora didn’t know he had drawn. Thinking about it made Tora want to punch his face in all over again. Instead, he balled his fists and felt the open skin pull over the thin areas around his knuckles, bringing him back to the present.

 _She said thank you. She didn’t agree with it all, but she still said thank you. So why do I still feel like a giant piece of shit?_ Tora walked towards the back patio that the bar had built just recently, pulling his cigarettes out of his back pocket. _She’s not my old lady. And she never will be. I need to get this bitch feeling in check before I do somethin’ stupid._


	4. Ours... Girlfriend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how I got this chapter out so quick. Guess the long weekend was a good thing for me. Also, let me just say that I HIGHLY appreciate all of the lovely comments. I think the next chapter might take a little longer due to my schooling picking up very quickly. I wish I could stick to an uploading schedule, but I literally write this on my small amount of free time.
> 
> As usual, these beautiful ass characters belong the talented Lilydusk.

Saturday, June 20XX

It was finally moving day and Poppy couldn’t be any more excited than she already was and had been for the last week. Monday, she asked Gil for Saturday off and he obliged. On Wednesday, her grandmother had stopped by the bar during lunch to give Poppy a check. She said that the check was her housewarming gift to her and that she was proud of the steps she was taking to be on her own and responsible. Thursday after work, her and Erdene went shopping for a new mattress, bed frame, couch and kitchen table. Jacob had been nice enough to help Poppy move it to her new spot by lending the use of his truck. All three of them spent the night drinking and putting together her new furniture. Jacob gave her two plants and Erdene gave her a dishware set and pots and pans as their own housewarming gift. Throughout the night, Poppy kept reminding herself that she couldn’t have asked for better friends. Friday night after closing, Poppy briefly stopped Tora on his way out and asked if he was still able to help her the next day and he said yes. Before he walked out, they exchanged numbers so she could tell him when she was ready to get the move started.

She couldn’t lie to herself though. Her excitement _was_ mainly about finally having a place to call her own, but she didn’t deny the fact that she was going to be spending quite a few hours with Tora and that was clearly hyping her up.

Saturday morning was surreal. Poppy woke with so much energy and excitement, she sent an early text to Tora, expecting him to be asleep since it was barely eight in the morning.

_Hey, its Poppy! Let me know when you’re up and ready. No rush! :)_

Locking her phone, she began getting ready for the long day ahead of her. As she was gathering clothes before her shower, she heard her phone ping from within the blankets of her bed. She walked over and saw the message from Tora.

_Been up for a while sweetheart. Ya let me know when I can show up and I’ll be there._

Poppy did a brief timeline in her head before she replied.

_Boxes are already packed and waiting to get loaded. I’m gonna shower first. Meet here in 30 minutes and we can get this day started._

Ping.

_Sure ya don’t need help in the shower? I can be there sooner to wash your back ;)_

Poppy blushed and took in a sharp inhale of breath.

_Yes I’m sure, you pervy old man. Be here in 30 or no dinner payment for you!_

Locking her phone once more and tossing it on the bed again, Poppy rushed to the bathroom and showered. Quickly dressing and towel drying her hair, she stepped back in to her room and heard her phone ping yet again.

_I’m here._

Poppy ran to the living room and peeked through the curtains of front windows. Tora could be seen getting out of his car. He began to walk up to the door but turned around and went back to lean against the hood of his car. She was confused. Why didn’t he come up to the door? She was about to reach for the front door when he walked back up to the door and paused. She could see his lips moving as he talked to himself. He was in front of the door, hands shoved deep into his pockets and still muttering to himself when he hesitantly rang the doorbell. Poppy jumped out of her skin, scared, despite watching him. She counted to 5 before she opened the door, smiling.

“Hi! You ready to get to work?” Tora looked down at her and couldn’t help but smile. He always appreciated a pretty face on a woman. Poppy was fresh faced with damp hair, a t-shirt with an avocado hula hooping and a ripped pair of shorts with paint splatter everywhere. To him, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Women with professional makeup, plastic surgery, photoshopped in the pictures, all the bullshit… nothing compared to the way she looked right now.

“Yea. You’re the boss today. Tell me where ya want me.” Poppy grabbed his hand and dragged him to her bedroom. “Well shit, if you wanted me in the bedroom that quick…”

Poppy reached up to smack him on the shoulder. “You’re ridiculous, absolutely incorrigible. Basically, all we have to do is just load these boxes into our cars. It’s not a lot so it should be quick. All my new furniture is already in my apartment, that just leaves all the little things.”

“Sounds easy. You can finish getting ready while I start taking boxes to my car. Is Erdene here?”

Poppy realized she hadn’t seen Erdene since she had been up and didn’t smell any fresh coffee as she usually did. Peeking out the front door, she saw that her car wasn’t in the driveway. “I guess not. You won’t have to worry about making too much noise.”

“Ok.” Tora shucked off his vest, tossing it across her unmade bed and squat down to grab the first three boxes by her door. The simple act of him doing something so mundane made Poppy’s stomach flip.

“Sorry if some of the boxes are heavy. I tried to pack them as light as possible.”

“Bobby, this is baby weight. Pretty sure I can bench ya on an easy day.” Throwing her a wink and seeing the flush spread on her face, Tora walked through the house and out to his car.

The man was insufferable. Poppy thought about all of the innuendos he had said over her time being home, and she came to conclusion that he said those things to purposefully get a rise out of her. Poppy shoved a pair of shoes on her feet and grabbed two boxes for herself and began to load her own car.

After an hour of going back and forth from the house to the cars, Poppy and Tora had finally finished packing up. Poppy quickly ran in the house, threw her few toiletries and her phone charger in a small bag, grabbed her purse and phone and left the house. After locking the front door, she sent a quick text to Erdene.

_I am officially done packing up! Me and Tora are leaving and going to my place now. Thanks again for letting me stay as long as I did. I love you girly! <3_

Tora stood at the end of the driveway waiting for the next part to Poppy’s plan. She was vibrating with energy and Tora was happy for her. He knew what it was like to have to rely on someone when you don’t want to, even if it is necessary, and then finally getting to branch out on your own. Quincey and Vincent had done the same thing for him when he was younger. He was sure Vincent had more “stipulations and restrictions” for him than Erdene did with Poppy, but the basis of the situation was practically the same.

“Tora? You ok?” Tora was brought out of his walk down memory lane to find Poppy in front of him.

“Yea, I’m good sweetheart. Ready to go?”

“Yep, just had to send a text to Dene. Let’s go, the quicker we get there, the quicker I can go buy groceries and start cooking for you.”

Tora was a little shocked. He figured she would want her place to herself for a few days before she had company. “Ya don’t have to do all that tonight Bobby.”

“Oh,” Poppy didn’t think to ask if he might have already had plans. She just assumed he would be staying. “I mean, if you already have plans, we can do it another night. That’s fine with me.”

“I don’t have plans, I just thought you would want time to yourself. Do the shit girls do when they’re on their own? Like decorate or whatever the fuck it is that y’all do.”

“Well, I can do that some other time. Do you want to do dinner tonight? Or maybe some other day?” Poppy couldn’t help but feel disappointed that he was going to push their dinner to a different day.

“Nah, tonight is fine. I was just gonna be at the bar anyways. Dinner with you sounds better.” Tora saw the way Poppy’s features changed from disappointment to hopefullness. If he didn’t know better, he would have said she was even excited to have him stay for dinner. “Ya know, if you wanted to spend more time with me, all you had to do was ask.”

Poppy saw the smirk spread across his lips, bringing out his dimples. “Ok then. Tora, would you like to stay for dinner with me?”

“I’d love to sweetheart.”

“Great, now put those dimples away. They’re freakin’ ridiculous with how deep they go.”

“Well, I got somethin’ else that goes deeper th-”

Poppy reached up and covered his mouth with her hand, stretching on her tip toes. “That’s enough!”

Tora laughed behind her hand. He knew the things he said embarrassed her and he should stop in case he made her uncomfortable. It was just too funny to see her flustered. He gently wrapped his hand around her wrist to pull it away from his lips. “Alright, let’s get goin’.”

They went to their respective cars, making their way across town to Poppy’s new apartment. There, they spent the next hour unloading boxes and putting them inside. Watching Tora unload both of their cars while she began to unpack the boxes gave Poppy a chance to reflect on everything he’s done for her. She couldn’t help but compare him and Julri.

Tora went out of his way to do things for her, above and beyond what she asked for. With her car, all he had to do was fix the transmission. Instead, he did that _and_ changed her brakes and rotors, her oil, flushed all the weird fluids that go in it that she has no idea what they do, changed her spark plug thingies… Tora didn’t have to do it, but he did. Julri may not have known anything about cars, but if he did, she could confidently say that he wouldn’t have done any those things for her. He probably would have had somebody else do the work instead of doing it himself. Tora is spending his Saturday doing laborious work (even if it wasn’t labor to him) and he hadn’t complained once. He offered to help on his free time without her asking. When she moved to Narin City Julri said he was too busy to help her move. She had to lug boxes up five flights of stairs by herself. She spent all week setting up her tiny apartment only to have him visit her three times while she lived in the city. Poppy would go days without hearing from her then boyfriend. Tora went out of his way to say hi to her every time he saw her, whether she was at the bar or somewhere in town if they ran into each other.

What it boiled down to was that Julri was a pile of dog crap and Tora was a gentleman. She couldn’t believe she spent three years with a person who didn’t appreciate her.

Tora was making his way in the apartment with the last two boxes when she was brought back out of her head. He dropped the boxes and closed her door, grabbing the hem of his t-shirt to wipe the sweat off of his face. It wasn’t too hot of a day, but making multiple trips with heavy boxes to the third floor was taxing. Poppy couldn’t complain though with the view she was being rewarded with. She always knew he was of the muscular body type, the fanfare she was receiving spectacular. Ripped abs, a peek of his chest, that tapered v-cut every woman swoons over; he was drool worthy for sure.

“Bobby, my eyes are up here.” She met his eyes and found him with a shit eating grin on his face. “I coulda been doin’ all this work shirtless for ya if I knew that’s how ya were gonna look at me.”

“Ok, yes, I was staring. So what?”

Tora shook his head and walked over to the couch, flopping down and spreading his legs out like the giant man he was, seeking comfortability. “So nothin’. Just funny catching _you_ doing somethin’ so pervy for once.” He leaned further back into the couch and made himself at home by laying his arms across the back.

Poppy sighed and shook her head, “Well, I’m a woman with working eyes. I think I can appreciate a man with a nice body without shame.”

“You’re blush says otherwise sweetheart.”

“Well, that’s… that’s because…”

“Bobby, I’m just messin’ with you. It’s ok.” He smiled at her in hopes that she knew that he wasn’t being serious. He enjoyed the way he caught her staring. Women stared at him all the time and it made him either uncomfortable or annoyed. With Poppy, it felt welcoming. Like she wasn’t _just_ looking at him for his body, or his tattoos, or his face. Tora wasn’t a conceited type of guy; he knew he was appealing to the opposite sex but he never let it get to his head. He looked the way he did for himself and his job.

Poppy giggled with relief. “Now that I’ve been caught, I should probably feed you. I do have to go get groceries though. You’re more than welcome to stay here while I go or you can come with.”

“Nah, I’m going with you. ‘Preciate the offer, but I’d feel uncomfortable without you here.”

“Ok! Let me unpack this box and we can go.”

Poppy finished unpacking the box in front her and moved the others into her room, making room in her living room for when they came back. Tora insisted on driving them since she was going to be the one doing the cooking. Poppy didn’t get a chance to do anything in the store except grab food from the shelves. Tora pushed the cart, grabbed things that were high up on the shelves she couldn’t reach, put some of her junk food back without her looking. When they got to the meat section, she told him to pick out what seafood he wanted.

“Why am I pickin’ it out?”

“I have to make sure it’s what you want. What if I grabbed a fish you don’t like?”

“I eat pretty much everything Bobby.”

“Well I don’t know that. Just pick out the food and make sure you get enough. Lord knows how much you eat.” Tora turned around and smirked at her. “Get your mind out of the gutter!”

“How do you know what I was thinking?”

“It’s all in your eyes.” Tora nodded his head and let it go. Yeah, he was going to say a pervy comment, but he was going to get more details on what she meant when they got back to her place.

Tora spoke to the butcher behind the counter an got shrimp, lobster and crab. He had no idea what she was going to make, but when he looked back at her for approval, she gave him a thumbs up. They finished grocery shopping and were about to go to the checkout line when she stopped.

“Wait, I want to go grab a cake. What kind do you like?”

“Uh, I’m not a big fan of sweets Bobby. Ya get whatever your little heart desires.”

Poppy took off to the bakery section with a pep in her stride. When Tora thought she was taking a little long, she came back from behind him, the opposite direction she left.

“Why the fuck did you come from that way?”

“I noticed you don’t really drink very often. You order strawberry juice most of the time at the bar. So, I got some in case you didn’t want water.” Poppy held up a case of glass bottles, an organic brand of strawberry juice for him to drink.

Tora didn’t think she paid attention to him like that. Something inside of him shifted and he wasn’t ready to acknowledge what I possibly was. At least not now.

“Thanks Bobby.” Tora pushed the cart up to the cash register and they began to put all of the groceries on the belt. As the lady began to ring them out, Poppy noticed the frightful look she kept giving to Tora. She looked at him as if he was robbing her at gunpoint rather than simply buying groceries. Every time he would look up at her, she would quickly look the other way. Poppy couldn’t believe she was able to stand here and blatantly judge someone like that. And she didn’t want to watch it anymore.

Tora had put the last item onto the belt when Poppy came up next to him, wrapping one arm around his waist and resting her other hand against his chest, right over his heart. He jumped, not expecting her to be so close. He could smell her shampoo, feel her body heat through their clothes, every curve of her body was pressed against him and it was the greatest feeling ever.

He was also confused as hell.

“I can’t wait to cook for you in _our_ new apartment. I’m so happy with you.”

Tora cocked his eyebrow and saw her make eye contact with the cashier. He saw that the lady was staring at him with a fear that he recognized. He had seen it in people before when they saw him walking down the street. Women would shield their purses and rush past him with their heads ducked down. Men would put their arms around their girls or their kids thinking he was a common thug. He was used to it. Poppy didn’t know that he stopped giving a fuck what others thought a long time ago, but he appreciated what he now knew she was doing for him.

The cashier looked between the “couple” as Tora slung his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. “Thanks sweetheart, I’m happy with ya too,” punctuating his response with a kiss to the top of her head. He turned back to the cashier who quickly began to finish their transaction. As she scanned the last item, Tora reached in his pocket to pull out a roll of cash.

“Hey wait! You’re not supposed to buy the groceries!” Poppy tried to pull his arm back down to no avail.

“Just let me spoil my _girlfriend_ will ya?” He pushed her hand away and gave the woman the cash. While she counted out his change, Poppy loaded the bagged groceries into the cart. Tora grabbed his change and receipt as she began to push the cart towards the door. To shove it in the lady’s face, Tora stepped up behind Poppy and walked behind her, leaning down to put his hand on the handle of the cart and whispering in her to make it look as intimate as possible.

“Ya wanna explain what all of that was about?”

Tora’s low husky voice sent goosebumps across Poppy’s skin. His breath flowing across her cheek smelled faintly of the last cigarette he smoked. Tora took advantage of the closeness and pushed his chest further into her back.

Poppy nonchalantly shrugged, feeling her shoulders brush against his as he hunched over her, “That lady was being judgey and rude. She kept looking at you like you were a criminal. I didn’t like it so I did something about it.” When they got to his car, they worked together to put the bags in the trunk. “I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable, but I know you better than that. She had no right to pass judgement on you based on how you look. It’s common decency.”

Tora had propped a hip against his car while he listened. It had been a long time since someone had come to his defense. It was cute and sexy to watch this woman stand up to the big mean lady.

“I wasn’t uncomfortable. Quite the opposite actually. But thanks. I didn’t need ya to do it, but ya did it anyways. I learned a long time ago to ignore shit like that.”

Poppy shut the trunk and turned to him, hands on her hips. She looked like an angry hamster with her cheeks flushed with high emotions. “That may be the case, but it doesn’t make it right. She deserved to feel ashamed for the judgmental thoughts she was most likely having.”

“Whatever you say kid.” Tora pushed himself off the car and walked around to open the passenger side for her. When she had folded her body into the low-slung bucket seats, Tora caught sight of a short guy dip behind a car. He stared at the spot he had just seen him in, willing him to come back out. When nothing happened, he walked to driver side and dropped inside. Turning over the ignition, Tora was deep in his thoughts.

_There was definitely someone out there. I don’t know if they were for me or Poppy, but somethin’ isn’t right._

“Tora?” He shook his head lightly and turned to Poppy. “Ready?”

“Yea, let’s go. ‘Cause I’m starving.” He threw his car into drive and took them back to the apartment, constantly checking his mirrors for cars tailing them.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Unloading the groceries was an event. Poppy tried to laden her arms with as many bags as she could carry, only ending up with four. Tora used this chance to prove his manly strength and carried the rest of the bags to the apartment. He said that if there was ever a time to put his lifting skills to use, now was the time to shine. He made it up all three flights in one go and when Poppy unlocked her door, he pushed around her and unceremoniously dropped all the bags on her kitchen floor with a dramatic sigh.

“Remind me to never do that shit again. Those flimsy bags were cuttin’ into my damn fingers.” He flexed his fingers to get the blood flowing back to his extremities.

Poppy giggled, “Nobody told you to be a macho man. I could have made a second trip just fine.”

Tora grunted, knowing that she was right. He wasn’t going to tell her the real reason why he made sure to do it all in one trip. Halfway back, he saw that there was in fact a car following them, but when they turned into her complex, the car continued past them. It was a small town that they lived in, everybody knowing everybody, multiple people going in the same general direction. The car could have honestly been going the same way as them and their last stop wasn’t the same as them, but Tora didn’t want to take that chance with her safety.

Poppy started unloading her groceries, telling Tora that he could sit down and relax. It gave him the chance to really watch her as she flittered around her kitchen. He noticed that she unpacked every bag first before putting them in their designated spots. When she filled her shelves, all the labels faced outward and were sized with bigger items in the back and smaller ones in the front. Her spices were in alphabetical order for fucks sake. He noticed that she was very particular in where things went in her kitchen. When she moved on to prepping things for dinner, he saw why she did things the way she did. Her kitchen was “her space.” She reached and stretched for things without looking directly for them. She moved with a grace that led him to believe that she was extremely comfortable in a kitchen.

“Ya like cookin’ Bobby?”

“Hmm?” She turned to look at him with wide doe eyes, but went right back to her task. “Oh, yeah, I do. A lot. It was something I used to do with my dad a lot.”

“I bet he’s real proud of ya and your skills. Ya look like ya know what you’re doin’.” Tora noticed the shift in her shoulders and her pause in chopping of vegetables. “Sweetheart, I say somethin’ wrong?”

“No, it’s just my dad passed away four years ago. Cancer was evil and took him early. You said that he’s real proud of me, and I just kind of hope that’s true. Especially with me coming back after being in the city for so long. I had a fail-”

_Knock knock knock!_

Tora slowly got up from the couch and looked at the door. “Ya expecting someone?”

Poppy was wiping her hands on a towel and walking to the door when she answered him. “No, it’s probably just Erdene. I told her she could show up whenever she wanted. But I gave her a key so I don’t know why she’d knock.”

Poppy flipped the deadbolt and the lock on the knob. Opening the door to him was a moment she desperately wanted pretend never happened.

“Hey Popsicle.”


	5. Rolling 7's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julri is a bozo lmfao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being patient with me everyone! It means a lot to ya girl that y'all like this story. Y'alls comments were hilarious at the end of the last chapter.
> 
> I tried my hardest to get this out sooner, but we're only on week 3 of my semester and it's already kicking my ass. I can't wait to graduate.... and roll into my masters **insert HEAVY eye roll here**
> 
> Anywho, please enjoy. This chapter is a longer one. As usual, not beta'd, so let me know if there's typos or some other weird shenanigans goin on.
> 
> Also, all these characters belong to master creator Lilydusk. I just like fuckin with 'em lol.

Saturday, June 20XX

Baffled. Perplexed. Confused. Freaking floored honestly.

Poppy had no idea how to react to Julri being on her front doorstep. It had been almost three months since she left Narin City and they hadn’t spoken since. Not that she wanted to, but he never bothered with explaining himself. When Poppy had walked in on him with some other girl sprawled across his lap, she went numb. She had had her suspicions for a while, but she simply pushed them away, telling herself that Julri would never do something like to her. He wouldn’t put her in that kind of position. So, for her to physically walk into that only confirmed how naïve she had been. Julri had tried to talk his way out of the predicament but Poppy had already made up her mind. Not just about their relationship being over, but about her entire life in the city. He was the catalyst to her redefining her sense of freedom and adulthood away from home. Poppy wasn’t stupid, she knew why he was here.

“What are you doing here Julri? Better yet, how in the world did you find me?”

Julri took a step closer. “I was going to swing by your Granny’s place, but I stopped at the store and saw you walking out. I noticed there was some thug lookin’ guy following you and I was going to say something. Then you got in his car and left. I thought you were in trouble and I followed you here.”

Poppy was absolutely flummoxed. After what he did to her, he had the audacity to pretend like he actually cared about her well-being? What about when he broke her heart? Where was his care and sympathy then?!

“Look, Popsicle-”

“Don’t call me that name.” Out of all the pet names he could have picked for her, that was what he stuck with. Every time he called her that name she cringed.

“I came by to apologize. Why don’t you let me inside so we can talk about you leaving so suddenly?” Julri took another step forward, putting his shoulder into the jam of her doorway.

“There’s nothing to talk about. It’s clear what decision you made that day. You wanted Mimi, not me.” Poppy began to push her door closed when she felt it stop. Looking down, she saw that he had shoved his foot inside to prevent her from completely shutting him out.

“Let me inside. We can talk about the plan to move you back to Narin City.”

“Bobby, is there a problem?” Poppy turned around to see Tora coming out of the shadows of her foyer. Julri had taken advantage of her laxed grip on the door and pushed his way inside. He stopped when he caught sight of the tall brooding man.

“Hey creep, local pot dealer is two floors down. I need you to leave my girlfriend alone.” Julri attempted to puff his chest. It only made him look like he was arching his to crack it.

“Last I checked, Bobby was single. I wouldn’t be here if she didn’t invite. Unlike some people.”

“Who the hell is Bobby?” Julri had little time to react before Tora grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved him back out into the hallway. “Poppy, tell this thug to let me go!”

Poppy stared at the two men. Julri was so much shorter than Tora it was comical. She knew he wouldn’t hurt him, but it was nice to see him squirm a bit.

“Is this the type of men you’re allowing into your life now? I make one mistake and this is who you replace me with?” His face was red with embarrassment and fear. He knew he couldn’t take on this guy even if he wanted to. This brute was making shit harder with Poppy than it should have been. She should have been happy to see him. Ready to come back to the city and back to their lives.

“I’ll have you know, Julri, that Tora has done more for in the last three months than you ever did in the five years we were together. I won’t let you talk bad about him. You can leave now.”

Now Julri was pissed. This wasn’t how he planned it all to go. She was supposed to accept him with open arms and want to go back with him. She was never this confident or outspoken before. She couldn’t have changed this much in such a short time.

“If you don’t let me in, I’ll call the cops. Tell them your criminal friend here assaulted me. He’ll end up in a cell, right where he belongs.”

“How about I make it easy on ya,” Tora leaned down and spoke in a low voice. “I’ll actually hit ya so you won’t have to lie to the cops. I’ll claim self-defense though since ya tried to shove your way into her apartment. Twice.” He shoved him away from Poppy’s door and walked back to her, wrapping his arms around her waist for added satisfaction and feeling her hand clutch to the back of his shirt.

Julri stared at Poppy, waiting for her to defend him against the colossal man. When she didn’t, he stood up straighter.

“Popsicle, I’ll talk to you some other time when the thug isn’t around.”

“I told you to stop calling me by that stupid name. And there’s nothing to talk about. You’re better off just leaving Moonbright and _me_ for good.” Poppy unwound herself from Tora’s arms and walked back in her apartment. Tora stared at the little man and scoffed.

“Fuck off bitch.” Giving him the bird, he turned and slammed the door in his face with finality. After he tossed the locks back in place, he turned and saw Poppy standing in her living room staring at the ceiling with her hands on her hips, red faced and glassy eyes.

“You ok sweetheart?” Tora had no idea how to handle emotional women. Quincey was bad enough when he got dumped or stood up on a date, and he barely knew what to do with him then. He didn’t want to mess things up with her any more than they already were, even if it wasn’t his fault directly. He wanted her to know that he was here for her.

“I’m fine, promise. Can you turn my stove off for me while I go to the bathroom right quick?” Tora didn’t get a chance to respond before she left. He heard the bathroom door shut and did as she asked, removing his shoes by the door first. While he was in the kitchen, he sent a quick text to Gyu.

_Ronzo, do me a favor. Look up a kid named Julri. Poppy’s ex. Find out what ya can and get back to me._

After he sent the message, he locked his phone and slid it back in his pocket. As he reached in the fridge for one of the drinks she had bought for him, he heard the bathroom door reopen, followed by soft footsteps down the hall. When she came in, she effectively ignored him and went straight to her stove. For a minute she simply stared at the cut vegetables on the board. She looked better than when she left, but her eyes were slightly puffy and the tip of her nose was tinged a rosy pink.

Tora figured it’d be best to lightly tread on the subject of what happened with an easy question. “Ya wanna talk about it?”

She picked up the knife and began to cut her vegetables again, slower and more methodical than before. She seemed to be thinking of her answer so Tora didn’t rush her thoughts.

“I’m sure you could already tell, but he was my ex-boyfriend. His names Julri and he’s a pile of dog crap. He cheated on me.” Poppy tried not to sound bitter and jaded, but talking about him while she was trying to enjoy her time with Tora only further ignited her pissy attitude. Tora noticed that her chopping had become a little more aggressive.

“Is he the reason you left Narin City?” What he really wanted to know was how stupid this pissant really was. Who in their right mind would step out on a woman like Poppy?

“Partially. Like I was saying before he showed up, I had a failed relationship and a crappy job. That’s why I came home. I was genuinely unhappy and coming back here made the most sense.”

Seeing how hurt she looked while talking about her experience made Tora inexplicably upset. He had never been in a real relationship, but there were a few things he had picked up over the years watching some of his brothers from the club with their significant others. The one tip they always preached was to never step out. As a man in a relationship, you didn’t entertain the attention of a person who wasn’t the one you were committed to. With as many women who came in and out the club and their functions, some who stick around and go _through_ the club, Tora had zero desire to mess around with any of them, let alone date them seriously. Over the last few months, he had entertained the idea of being with someone, mainly Poppy. But he was realistically honest with himself. He had nothing stable to offer, he looked like a miscreant and to top it all off, he had issues. He didn’t want to bring all that drama into Poppy’s life; he had steeled himself to being friends with her for as long as possible. What he did want to do for her though, was offer any all help he could.

“I can take care of him for ya. All ya gotta do is give me the green light and he’s gone.”

“Thank you, but I’m ok. Hopefully you scared him off tonight and he won’t bother me anymore.” It was nice to hear that he would offer his services for her. As much as she detested Julri, she didn’t want to harm him, if indirectly. Making up a scenario in her head of Julri getting the snot beat out of him did give her a giggle though.

Poppy glanced over to Tora, clutching a bottle of juice in his hand and posted up against her counter. It was odd to see a man his size holding onto a strawberry juice rather than a beer or something similar. She was curious, “Why don’t you drink?”

“I do. You’ve seen me order beers at the bar. I just don’t do it often. Prefer to stay sober. Can’t stand the way it makes me feel if I drink too much.”

Poppy nodded along while she dumped the vegetables into the pot of water on the stove on the stove. “Makes sense. I don’t drink because I’m a lightweight and can’t control myself. I like to indulge every once in a while, though.”

Tora chuckled from behind her, “Drunk Bobby sounds fun.”

“Drunk Bobby is a mess, but that’s neither here nor there.” She turned around to see a smirk across his face. Maybe one day they’ll have a drink with one another. In a controlled environment. With small amounts of alcohol. Only for her though. Nonetheless, she wouldn’t mind sharing a drink with him. She felt safe enough to let loose around him and actually enjoy herself.

While letting the vegetables boil on her stove, Poppy walked over to her cabinet behind Tora. As she reached around his broad shoulders, he moved to turn around and opened the cabinet for her.

“What do ya need outta here?” Looking down his chest to her, he could feel how close she was. There was barely any space between the two but he felt as if he was right on top of her. Her chocolate brown eyes were clear and bright, her skin was carrying a flush from standing over her stove, and she smelled like strawberries and vanilla.

Poppy had to almost crane her neck entirely to look up to his face. “Oh, can you grab four bowls please?” As he reached in and brought them back down, she caught a glimpse of a tattoo peeking out from under his t-shirt.

_I wonder how much of his skin is covered in tattoos?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when he handed her the bowls, their fingers brushing together at their base. She chose to ignore the spark she felt in her stomach and walked to his drawer and grabbed two sets of chopsticks as well as two soup spoons. After checking on the vegetables and seeing that they were done, Poppy carefully filled the bowls with the seafood soup and scooped rice into the others. She placed them on a carrying tray and brought them to the low-slung table in her living room. She walked back to the kitchen to fill her a glass of water and pushed Tora to her table to eat. Because he was so tall, Poppy let him sit in front of her couch in case he wanted to lean back and be more comfortable. She set the two bowls in front of him and did the same for her own. Before she could set the tray aside, Tora had already picked up his chopsticks and was ready to dig into the food before him

“Wait!” Tora looked up with startled eyes. He forgot that not everyone dug into food like he did. It was embarrassing to be caught like that.

“It’s still hot, I don’t want you burn yourself.” She watched as he put his chopsticks back on the table and hunch in his shoulders. His mood seemed like he was upset. “What’s wrong? Why do you look like that?”

Tora wrestled with telling her his real feelings or making up some bullshit excuse. He hadn’t lied to her yet, so he probably shouldn’t start now even with something harmless. “Nothin’s wrong. I just got excited. Haven’t had a home cooked meal in a long time. All I do is eat out.”

There was a tone of wistfulness in his voice. Seeing him retreat into himself like he’s been scolded made Poppy change her tone.

“Well, don’t let me stop you then. Hopefully its good so it doesn’t ruin the moment for you.”

“I doubt ya could do that. Smells good.” He grabbed his utensils again and ripped into the food with a vigor she had never seen before. He wasn’t sloppy, more enthusiastic. His manners were impeccable despite his outward appearance. Just another fun fact about him that surprised her yet again. Poppy took a couple of bites herself before she started the conversation again.

“So why did you want this as your payment? You could’ve asked for anything else.”

Tora wiped his mouth with the napkin beside his bowl. “No real reason except I wanted to talk to you.”

“We talk all the time.”

“Outside the bar Bobby,” he took a long drink from his bottle to hopefully disguise the heat on his face.

“Why? There’s nothing really different minus the loud noise and the crowd.” Poppy tried to speak to him as much as she could while she worked. Sometimes she caught herself giving him more attention the other customers, and she felt a little guilty about it, but he always made her night that much better when they got a chance to talk.

“That’s easy, I think your cute.”

Poppy was rattled by his simple and succinct response. Her face was yet again flushed as red as a cherry. Letting her hair fall forward to hide her face, she ate more of her food, hoping Tora would take this a sign of pause in their conversation.

After a few minutes of companionable silence, Poppy looked up to see him almost done with his food. She decided to be extra nice and placed two more of her shrimps in his bowl. He glanced up from his rice bowl in confusion.

“You look like you eat a lot of protein. You need it more than me. I need to go on a diet anyways.”

“Fuck no.”

Startled at his harsh language, Poppy asked, “What? Why did you say it like that?”

He placed the bowl back on the table and leaned forward on his elbows. “You look fine. You don’t need a fuckin diet. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with ya weight.”

“I don’t know, Jacob said I’ve been packing on the pounds since I started working,” Poppy blew her bangs from her face before she continued. “I don’t see it, but I see myself naked every day, so I probably wouldn’t notice it.”

Tora cocked his head to the side with an unfamiliar emotion crossing over his features. “Let me tell ya somethin’ sweetheart. Jacob is a sack of shit for sayin’ that to you. Diets are for two types of people. Ones with health problems and their doctors told ‘em to lose weight. And women who want to look like the rest of the world. You don’t need to be part of that second category because you look perfect.” He scooped the two shrimps from his bowl and put them back in hers.

“T-thank you. That means a lot.” Poppy looked down into her bowl, absorbing the words Tora had spoken with confidence. Her and Tora finished their food in silence.

When they had finished, Poppy began to get up and load the tray again to take it back to the kitchen. Tora gracefully unfolded himself from under the low table and took the tray from her hand. She could hear him placing the dishes in the sink and the water turn on.

“Excuse you, you’re a guest. You’re not supposed to be doing the dishes.”

Tora rolled up his sleeves and tied his hair back, turning to her and flashing a smile. “I may look like a thug, but I was raised decently with manners.”

She took a long look at him, comfortable in her kitchen like he’s always belonged. “You don’t look that scary to me.”

“You only say that ‘cause you don’t know me very well.”

“True,” she opened her fridge and grabbed another juice for him and refilled her water. “Do you want to play a game?”

Tora looked back at her to see curiosity in her eyes. “Yeah, after these dishes.”

The two cleaned the kitchen and put the dishes away together. While Tora quickly went to the bathroom, Poppy brought their drinks and her laptop over to her couch. She pushed the table further away from her couch so he had room to stretch his legs and was scrolling through her playlist when he emerged from the bathroom.

“So, what’s this game ya wanted to play?” Tora grabbed the bottle as he sat down, manspreading and leaning back into the couch cushions.

As Poppy selected a song she replied, “Twenty questions. Maybe we can get to know one another better.”

Tora tensed and wondered if the game was a good idea. He never wanted to lie, especially to her, but if she asked a question and he couldn’t answer it because of _reasons_ … well, answers might have to be slightly bent. “Yeah, I’m down. But I go first.”

Poppy nodded in agreement, folding herself into the side of the couch and pulling a pillow into her lap. She had cantered her body to look at him bringing her knee to touch the side of his thigh.

“What kinda name is Poppy?”

“My full name is Poppylan Wilkes. I go by Poppy for short.” Quickly going through a catalogue of conversations, she concluded that she never actually asked where her name came from or if it meant anything. “My name is just a name, no special meaning behind. At least that I know of. My turn now; is your real name Tora?”

He chuckled, knowing he got this question a lot whenever he answered. “Yeah, it’s my real name. Tora Balthuman.”

“Wow, that’s cool. So, the club is named after your last name?”

“My turn Bobby.” Poppy huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. She waved her hand in a way to tell him ‘go on.’ “Is fuckface the reason you left Narin City?”

“Partially, but he definitely played a big part. My turn, is the club named after your last name?”

“No,” he debated on how much of this answer he could tell her without getting her involved in anything. “It’s named after the president and his son Quincey.” He waited for Poppy to ask for more details but she said nothing and stared, waiting for him to ask another question.

“What kind job did you have in Narin?”

Poppy knew he didn’t answer the question fully, but she could already sense that there were certain questions she could push for more details versus others he would clip his words. She could understand his need for privacy and hoped that one day he would be comfortable enough to share more with her.

“I was an editor for a small publishing company. It was a great experience, but it wasn’t a god fit for me in the long. They were the only company to hire me right out of college with no experience.” The more time Poppy had to think back on her days working in the city, the more she could see little instances of where she was clearly being taken advantage of. She had been hopeful of finding a fulfilling career with the company, but it simply wasn’t in the cards for her. “What do you do for a living besides ride a motorcycle?”

“I work at the mechanic shop. Diesel mechanic by trade but I work on different things too. I also work at the tattoo shop when I either have time or somebody specifically asks for me by name. Do you plan on staying in Moonbright forever?”

“No,” Poppy had such wistful thoughts on furthering her career. Reading and editing were her passions. She found so much joy in reading other people’s work that they’ve put their heart into. She felt privileged being able to see their life’s work. “Eventually I would like to find another editing job, but I’m not rushing into anything. How long have you been in the club?”

“… A long time kid.”

_Ah ha, it’s club questions that get short answers._

“How old are ya?”

“I’m 22. How old are you?”

“Older than you.”

Poppy stared at him until he finally gave in. “Fine, I’m 27.”

“Wow, you are old.”

Tora feigned hurt and placed a hand against his chest. “I am not old. Ya just a baby. Anyways, what’s ya favorite color?”

“It’s orange. Yours?”

“Black.” Tora said it so succinctly that Poppy could only giggle at his answer. “What’s so funny?”

She saw that his answer fit him, his personality, even his lifestyle, but it was still a basic answer. “Black is such a man answer. Nothing is wrong with it, but every man I’ve ever known has said black because they’re afraid to say something else. Heaven forbid if it’s too girly.”

Tora shrugged his shoulders, seeing what she was saying. It wasn’t the case for him though. His real answer definitely wouldn’t have been girly, for sure, but the explanation behind it would’ve made him sound like a pussy. Right now, his favorite color was brown, specifically the shade of her eyes.

“My turn. What’s ya favorite kind of music?”

“Favorite genre? I like a lot of different kinds, but if I had to pick, it would be indie pop. How many tattoos do you have? It seems like a lot.”

He sat up and held his arms out to further display the color that adorned his skin. “My arms and neck, which ya already know about. Also got some on my back and leg. Ya got any tattoos?”

As Poppy continued to stare at his tattoos, she replied, “No, I don’t, but I’ve always wanted one. Honestly, it’s a little scary to think about.”

“If you ever get a wild hair up ya ass, I’ll do it for you.” Tora winked and saw the rose-colored blush bloom across the apples of her cheeks.

“Anyways… uhm, next question. What do you like most about riding?”

Tora’s eyes went slightly wide, he wasn’t prepared for such a deep question from her. He wasn’t sure about the other guys in the club, but riding on the bike probably wasn’t the same for them as it was for him. If he told her how he really felt, would she laugh at him? No. He could tell she wasn’t the type to make fun of or judge someone else.

_Fuck it, I can be honest about this one._

“… the peace and freedom. It’s just me and this fast, loud, mean machine flying down the road with nothing stopping me but myself. Hearing the roar of the wind fighting with growl of the engine puts me in a state of peace that nothing, up until now, has been able to quiet the constant flood of thoughts, screams and demons in my head. My life is finally in my own hands when I ride, instead of some else's.”

Dumbfounded, Poppy sat and stared. She was taken aback by the eloquence of how well put together his response was. She knew that Tora was not stupid by any means but the thought and emotion behind his answer was so unexpected that she couldn’t think of anything to say back.

Feeling awkward, Tora cleared his throat to move on from the moment. “So, uh, do you have any hobbies?” He took a long pull from the bottle of juice in his hands to distract himself.

“Oh, yeah, I do. I paint, most of the art on the walls is my own. I’m no professional by any means, but its cathartic.”

“That’s a big word that means…?”

Poppy laughed at the confused look on his face, “It means it feels good. I do it to de-stress. Kind of like how you ride to calm your thoughts.”

Tora nodded in understanding, both the comparison and the obnoxiously difficult word he had no idea about. He stood up and put his bottle on the table, “Mind if I look at ‘em?”

“Go for it.” Poppy watched him prowl around the room slowly, getting a good look at how big he really was compared to her apartment. He made everything seem small and insignificant. “How _tall_ are you?”

Out of quick reflex and habit he said, “Six three.” Women always fawned over his height and his stature. It got old relatively quick but he got so used to answering the question it just tumbled from his lips without forethought. “How tall are you?”

He heard her mumble but couldn’t pick out the words. “Gotta speak up Bobby. Can’t hear ya.”

“I said I’m five foot something.” Chuckling to himself, he continued his tour around her walls, stopping in front of a painting and looking longer at the swirls of colors. Nothing was defined but it was still nice to look at. He heard her ask from beside him what he thought he saw in the picture.

“Honestly, nothin real particular. If I had to pick though, I’d say a battlefield.” He detailed the king sitting astride his horse and his troops following behind him from behind a mountain with enemies hiding in a ditch. By the time he finished she was laughing, “What’s so funny?”

“It’s just interesting to hear you explain what you see. And I know you just made that up. There’s nothing specific in the picture. It was just a warm up canvas that I ended up really liking so I hung it up. That just goes to show you how differently people see things compared to others.”

Poppy looked up to see him bending over her shoulder. They were so close. She could count every eyelash, see the gold in his eyes with flecks of brown creating a warm honey color. She caught the faintest whisp of some cologne and cigarette tickling her nose. The slight smile pronounced the fullness of his bottom lip.

_Why is he so good looking? It’s not fair._

Tora caught the blush, again, on her cheeks.

_Besides her eyes, that’s my second favorite color._

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out. Seeing a message from Vincent made his stomach drop. A text this late really only meant one thing and he didn’t want something like that to ruin his mood. He had been enjoying his time away from his shitty reality. Using the time as an excuse, he looked back down at her.

“It’s almost eleven. Think its time for me to go.”

Poppy felt her shoulders drop with disappointment. She had been enjoying herself so much. She didn’t want the night to end, but she knew he had to go at some point. “That’s fine, I’ll walk you out.”

After walking through her kitchen to grab his cut, she led him to the door and stood by as he slipped his shoes back on.

“I had a really nice night Tora. Any time you want a home cooked meal, just let me know.”

Not wanting her to know he was upset, he grunted as he opened and stepped though her front door. Before he could make it down the hall, he stopped and turned to face her again. On a whim, he bent down and gently kissed her on the cheek, watching as the red color swept across her face once more.

“Goodnight Bobby. Lock up behind me.” Without a second thought, he walked towards her stairwell, leaving behind a speechless Poppy. She quickly closed her door and locked it. Running to her balcony, she saw him walk through the stairwell door. She leaned against the railing as she watched him get ready to leave.

Tora dropped down into his car and looked up to her balcony, catching her silhouette back-lit from her apartment. As he started up his car, he revved his engine at her before he took off. Thinking on his drive to the meeting with Vincent, he could only repeat one word in his head over and over again.

_Angel._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to get the next chapter up as quick as I can!
> 
> SHOUTOUT TO THE BEST READERS EVER! dbrae77 and olivepurple caught a major flaw in the first version of this chapter. Thank you guys for callin me out and being attentive! Because clearly I wasn't. I appreciate you dearly.


	6. Tennessee Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!!! I hope everyone enjoyed their week with no new chapter (sarcasm at it's finest), let's hope Lily feels better.
> 
> Sorry this took soooo long. My boyfriend and I just moved his grandmother to another state. So needless to say it was a packed weekend and I got little to no sleep. Shoutout to two of my readers who called me out on the last chapter. Y'all are the real ones.
> 
> Anyways, I hope y'all enjoy this hefty chapter. Took me forever to get it out, but here it is. As usual, let me know if y'all find something weird or unusual, y'all know this ain't beta'd.
> 
> As per every chapter, these characters belong to the amazing Lilydusk. I just like fuckin' with them.

July 20XX

The last month had been a blur. Poppy worked, went home, looked for another editing job that didn’t exist, slept and repeated. Every Friday and Saturday the MC came in. Either Tora, Quincey, or Gyu asked for her to be their waitress for the night. She had been so used to it by that point, most of the guys felt more like friends rather than patrons. Scharch, on the other hand, still gave her the creeps. His stare always felt more intrusive, not a lingering caress like Tora’s. Scharch’s eyes were a cold depthless blue, whereas Tora’s were a warm embrace that carried a soul behind them. She would take Tora string at her over Scharch any day of the week.

Gyu was her unofficial official big brother that she never had. He made it a point to ask if she had taken her break, drank enough water during her shift, had her lunch and if she was doing ok. Quincey had become her closest friend, even if he was more on the flamboyant side, but a joy nonetheless. Vincent was… Vincent. He was cordial and acknowledged her every night. Poppy had been working at the bar long enough to catch on to his moods. There were moments where he acted very much like the father he was, then there were instances where a switch flipped and his demeanor was colder than the tundra.

Over the last few weeks, Tora had disappeared for days on end. When he came back, there was something off about him. His eyes were hollow and sunken, his shoulders were stiff; those were the days she barely got a hi from him. Poppy knew his job in the MC wasn’t the greatest. He was always close to Vincent in some way, speaking in low tones, whispering in one another’s ears. Every time he came back, she couldn’t help but feel at a loss on how to help him carry the pain she could clearly see in his eyes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

August 20XX

Beer. Food. Clean tables. Cash out tabs. Talk to customers. Food. Beer. Beer. Beer.

It was an extremely busy Saturday night and Poppy was working on fumes. Per the usual, the MC was here as well as another club. Nothing too crazy and nothing Poppy hadn’t dealt with before. The visiting club had been one she had dealt with before and thankfully they hadn’t caused any problems, previously or tonight. If anything, they were just as nice as most of the guys in the Balthuman group.

She was clearing off yet another table in a back corner when she heard the door slam open. She didn’t pay it any attention, thinking it was a random biker who didn’t know his own strength. She had heard that door slam open and close so many times that it blended into the background noise. While reaching for a glass at the other end of the table, Poppy caught a glance of someone beelining through the bar. To her astonishment, it was Julri. In his hand, he had a sad excuse of a bouquet of wilted flowers and he looked as if he was unstable. Just in time to see him make to her, she had placed the glass on her tray and turned around, propping a hip against the table.

“What do you want?” Poppy didn’t want to waste her time dealing with his attitude. She had more important things to do and refused talk to him any more than she had to.

“Popsicle, can we talk please?”

“One, I said stop calling me that stupid name. And two, what part of no did you not understand the first time?”

Julri stuck the flowers in her face she took a step closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear. “Look, I know I fucked up, but I’m here trying to fix it. I know you still love me. Let’s talk it out and figure out how to get you back to Narin City with me.”

“Are you delusional? Absolutely not. I’m done being nice about this. Kindly fuck off Julri.” Poppy turned around to grab for her tray when he dropped the flowers to the floor and grabbed her above the elbow, digging his fingertips deep into the flesh of the bend.

“Fuck that, you’re coming back with me tonight!” With him close, Poppy could smell the strong scent of hard liquor coming from him. As if he had jumped in a tub full of it.

While she discreetly tried to pry her arm from his grip, Tora walked back from the bathroom. He caught sight of Poppy struggling with someone and realizing who it was, a dark anger took over without a second thought. Julri had backed her into a corner, deep into the shadows where no other person could tell who they were or what they were doing. Tora began pushing people out of the way trying to get to her as quickly as possible. He had yelled for Vincent and pointed into the corner. Vincent’s face clouded over with an emotion reserved for family. Tora knew that if he didn’t get to him, Vincent sure as fuck would.

Stepping up behind Poppy, Tora smoothly pulled out the Glock from behind his back, racked back the barrel and pointed it directly at Julri’s head over her shoulder. Tora could feel Poppy tense up in front of him while Julri’s eyes went wide with terror but all he cared about was getting him far the fuck away from her. “Tora…”

“Not right now Bobby.”

Poppy began to reach up to the arm extended over shoulder, “Poppylan, not right now. Please.” She dropped her hand and slowly walked to the side of Tora that wasn’t holding the gun, standing behind him and peeking around his huge frame.

Vincent had walked up from beside her and gently put a hand against her back. “Well, well. Looks like we got ourselves a standoff. Pops, you wanna tell me what’s going on?”

“Vincent, this is my ex-boyfriend. He was just leaving, weren’t you Julri?” Julri attempted to nod his head, too scared and distracted to realize that he had already pissed himself in the middle of the bar.

“I think he was too, seeing as how he’s soiled himself. He’s gonna need a change of clothes. And someone needs to clean up the piss, right? Jodi was your name, right?” Julri turned and shook his head. “Well, whatever the fuck your name is, I need you to clean this up before you leave.”

Julri had started to walk away when Tora grabbed him by the back of the neck. “I was just gonna grab some napkins, I swear!”

“No, kid, I want you to clean it with your own body. You made the mess; you take care of it.” Tora forced Julri down to floor, pointing the pistol to the back of his head for good measure. Julri looked back and forth between Tora and Vincent before finally dropping his whole body onto the ground. He pushed and pulled his body through the puddle of urine he had created, thoroughly soaking himself. When he thought he was done, he attempted to get back up when Vincent shoved his boot between his shoulder blades, effectively keeping him down on his knees.

“I’ll tell you when to get the fuck up. I want to hear you grovel for forgiveness from our Poppy.”

Julri looked up to Poppy, visibly shaken from his position. “Popsicle-“

“She told you to stop fuckin callin her by that stupid ass name.” Tora pulled the hammer back on his pistol and Julri let a few tears roll down his cheeks.

“Poppy, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me for being like this and treating you the way I have.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Poppy looked at Tora. He never took his eyes off of Julri, even as he kneeled on the ground. He looked feral and so close to the point of snapping that Poppy was slightly worried for Julri’s safety.

“Was that a good enough apology Pops?” Vincent was drinking from his glass of whiskey and staring at the small man on the ground beneath his boot.

“No, but it never will be. And I’m really tired of smelling him.”

“Fair enough. Get up.” After Vincent moved his foot of his back, Julri jumped up, stumbling into the table behind him. “Here’s the deal fuck face. You still have a gun to your head and a real angry Tiger behind it. The men in this bar don’t take kindly to little boys like you harassing the women in this bar, so here’s a suggestion. Leave. Don’t come back. Any of us, or Poppy, catch you sniffing around her and the man next to you is comin’ after you, no leash. Do I make myself clear?” Julri nodded his head emphatically and bolted for the door. People who were in his direct path took multiple steps back, giving him and his funk enough room to make a straight line for the door.

Tora was putting his pistol back behind his t-shirt when Erdene yelled Poppy’s name. She had collapsed into Vincent’s arms when he realized what was wrong. He immediately grabbed her from Vincent and took her to the back bathroom reserved for the employees with Erdene hot on his heels. Tora dropped onto the closed lid of the toilet, gently shaking the limp woman in his arms. “C’mon Bobby, need ya to wake up now.”

Poppy felt her body being shook as she was coming to. Doing a quick recap in her head reminded her as to why she had the brief blackout. She could hear Tora’s voice pulling her back into reality, feel him softly brush her hair away from face. When she opened her eyes, she could see the fire within his eyes; whether it was from the situation with Julri or her passing out, she didn’t know. Upon remembering the embarrassing scene, tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Erdene had brought a glass of water into the bathroom for Poppy. She delicately cradled Poppy’s hand and put the glass in her grip. “Oh, Pops. It’s ok girly. He’s gone and Tora’s gonna take good care of you. Aren’t ya big guy?”

Tora tightened his hold around the woman in his lap. As scared as he was from seeing Poppy collapse like that, he was still brimming with an anger he had never felt before. There had been things he had done and people he had dealt with that had made him mad before, but _this_ anger was something he was unfamiliar with.

While getting Poppy to calm down, Gil came in and told Poppy that she was able to go home for the night if she chose to, as well as tomorrow and still be paid. Poppy thought about still coming in tomorrow but thought better of it, thinking she could use the time to really mull over this ridiculous situation. Poppy slowly pushed herself off of Tora’s lap and rinsed her face in the sink.

“Tora, can you take me home please?”

“Sure sweetheart. Lemme get my bike situated and call a cab.” Tora left the bathroom leaving her and Erdene together.

“Do you need anything from me before you go home?” Erdene rubbed her hand up and down Poppy’s back, further calming her down.

“Thank Dene, but I’ll be ok. I’m just going home and crawling right in bed. Are you gonna be ok doing a double tomorrow? I can come in if it gets hectic.”

“Hell no,” Erdene moved in front of her and grasped her shoulders. “You need to take the day to really decompress. Think through and write down all your feelings. It’ll make you feel ten times lighter. Maybe Tora can spend the day with you or something.”

“Oh god no. I wouldn’t ask him to do that. Plus, he probably has something better to do.”

“I doubt it. That man is wrapped around that tiny little pinky of yours. He is totally attracted to you.”

“Sure he is.” Tora came back in the bathroom carrying Poppy’s purse and sweater in his hands.

“Gil got ya stuff from your locker. Cab is outside ready whenever you are.” Poppy turned and gave Erdene a long hug and kiss on her cheek. Reaching to take her purse from Tora, he moved her stuff from within reach and grabbed her hand instead. He guided her through the hallway to the backdoor and lead her into the waiting cab. Tora quickly rattled off her address and allowed her to scoot closer for comfort during the short ride to her apartment.

After a blissfully quiet ride, they were dropped off at the gate to her complex. Tora walked her to her door and took her keys from her purse to unlock the door for her. Intending to leave her for the night, he was surprised when she latched on to his wrist before he could turn away.

“Will you stay for a little while? Maybe until I get out of the shower?” Her brown eyes were glistening with more unshed tears in the dimly lit hallway. Seeing her uncomfortable in her own space hit Tora in the gut. If it wasn’t for that piece of shit putting his hands on her, she could have come home and slept peacefully. Now she has to worry about this fuckin dickwad trying to do something to her again. This wasn’t the way she was supposed to live her life.

“Yeah, kid, I’ll stay.” Tora pushed his way in and closed the door behind him, locking both locks and the security chain before kicking off his shoes.

Poppy left Tora in her living room, dropping her stuff on her bed and grabbing clothes to change into after her shower. Reaching behind her curtain she turned the handle of shower to the hottest position. After undressing, she stared at herself in her mirror. She twisted her arm in her reflection and noticed the blossoming bruise in the shape of Julri’s hand beginning on her elbow. Seeing the damage he had caused her physically, along with all the crap he’s put her through mentally made her angry beyond rationality. She didn’t want to give him any more of her thoughts or energy, so she quickly showered and dressed herself in the pajamas she had set aside.

While she was towel drying her hair, she walked out to her living room to find Tora outside smoking on her balcony. Quietly, she slid open her door and stepped out into the cool night air. Poppy flung the towel over her shoulder and leaned against the railing next to him.

“He’s never done anything like that before. Honestly, I didn’t think he was capable of doing something so reckless in front of people.”

Tora put out his cigarette and set it inside the empty flower pot next to his hip. “A man will do a lot of things for the people he cares about. Or thinks he cares about. No matter how outta character it seems.”

“I hope he never comes back. If he does, it’ll be too soon.” Tora looked down at her face and saw the anger that was laced within her words. She might have been small, but she was feisty. He wouldn’t be surprised if he found out she had been in a fight before. “Tora, can I ask you a question?”

He cocked his head to the side and faced his body towards her. He had an idea what the question might be and he wasn’t sure if he wanted her to ask it. “Go for it.”

“If things had gotten… out of control, would you have done it?”

“Done what sweetheart?”

“You know what I’m talking about.” She put her hands on her hips and squared her shoulders, showing him that she wanted a straight answer.

_Feisty little thing._ “I need to hear you say Bobby.”

“Would you have killed him if he did more than grab me?”

Looking at her closer, he could see the faintest glint of fear in her eyes. _There it is. I don’t know why I thought I could be different with her. Congratulations idiot, ya played yourself._

“No, I wouldn’t have killed him. Definitely woulda shot him, somewhere less fatal, but he also woulda gotten the shit beaten outta him. Not just by me, but by all the other guys there tonight. There’re too many men who care about you to let that asshole get away with hurting you. I swear to ya right now Poppylan, that fuckin pissant comes near you again, I won’t guarantee that he’ll walk away with his life. I refuse to let him put you in that position ever again.”

Poppy glanced down at her feet before she looked back at him, straight in his eyes. “I know you said all that to try and scare me off. I don’t need to be coddled and sheltered. Does it make me uneasy; yes. But I’m not scared of you if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I wasn’t trying to scare ya Bobby. I was bein’ realistic and honest. I don’t know how to handle shit like this. Women and emotions are not in my tool box.”

Poppy sighed and raked her hands across her face and through her mostly dry hair. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be acting like this towards you after all you’ve done for me. You don’t deserve that. I’m just a blubbering mess of a girl who can’t seem to catch a break.”

“Bobby, it’s fine. It’s been a rough night for ya and ya probably need some sleep. I’ll head out and check up on you tomorrow.” He reached up to ruffle her hair before he left.

“Wait!” She grabbed his hand and squeezed, “Will you just stay the night with me? I don’t want to be alone.”

“Sweetheart…” He found the fear had returned to her eyes and thought to himself, _why would I even think about saying no to her?_ “Yeah, I’ll stay. I can crash out on your couch.” He pulled her back in her apartment before he closed and locked her balcony door.

“Couch would be fine for you if you fit. You’re entirely too tall.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“No,” Tora placed his cut on the back of her kitchen chair and cocked an eyebrow. “You can just sleep in bed with me. You’ll be more comfortable.”

“If you’re ok with that.” He followed her into her bedroom and watched as she turned down her frilly pink comforter and crawled inside.

“You coming or are you just going to stand there like one of my big plants?”

Tora peeled off his shirt as he walked over to the other side of her bed. He brough the covers back up before laid next to her, on top of the comforter, as close to the edge of the bed as possible.

“Tora?”

“Hmm.”

“Stop being awkward. Take off your jeans and get under the covers.”

“If you wanted me naked in bed with you all you had to do was ask.” Giggling, Poppy shoved him off the bed with her foot and watched as he removed the rest of his clothes and let his hair down from the bun he had. If this was any other night, she would have tried _something_ with him, even with her lack of experience. With how good he looked, she knew that tonight would have been bad timing. After he got back in bed, she reached over to turn off her bedside lamp, silently gathering courage and feeling her face intensify in heat. As quick as she could, she flipped over and kissed Tora on his cheek.

“Good night Tora.”

“Night Bobby.” He felt her toss for a few minutes before he heard the change in her breathing. With her finally asleep, Tora let his thoughts run freely.

He had never shared a bed platonically with a woman. Any time there was a woman involved, they were there for one thing. Once their jobs were finished, Tora always felt the urge to run from whatever place he was in. He was never quite comfortable sharing his space with another person. Everything with Poppy was different. He didn’t feel pressured to be someone he wasn’t just for her acceptance. He didn’t have to pretend like his life wasn’t what it was.

It felt nice.

And he was scared shitless.

Laughing to himself, he wondered what his close friends would think if they could hear his thoughts.

Tora had been laying awake in bed for a few hours when he heard Poppy begin to whimper in her sleep. He sat up in bed, leaning over her to hear closer when she started tossing her body. She kicked her comforter off and started crying in her sleep.

Tora sprung out of the bed and ran to her side, kneeling beside her and shaking her awake. “Bobby, sweetheart, wake up.”

Poppy jolted back to reality and was met with the concerned giant. Wiping the tears from her face, she sat up and clutched his hand between her own.

“You ok?” Watching her catch her breath and visibly relax allowed Tora to relax as well.

“I’m fine. Come back to bed?” Tora nodded his head and climbed over her back to his spot. Poppy snuggled back underneath the covers, but this time she boldly plastered herself against the side of Tora. Within minutes Tora felt her breathing change yet again, followed by gentle snoring. Rolling over to his side, he watched as she slept, thinking of what he would feel like in the morning with her next to him. All he cared about was that she was happy.

Tora threw his arm across her waist, his eyes feeling heavier by the second. He fell into a light sleep with the tiny hamster at the forefront of his thoughts.


	7. The Safest Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom. I pushed this out cuz its about to be midterms for me. I got two weeks to get my shit together lol. Hopefully I'll get one more chapter out before then.
> 
> Y'all know the drill by now: you see somethin weird, somethin doesn't read right, or I put a motorcycle where there's supposed to be car lol let me know.
> 
> Characters belong to Lilydusk. I just like to stress them out.
> 
> *** Side note: this chapter seems really short to me, but it's 22 words shy of 4k. Fuckin weird.***

_Next morning…_

Poppy was warm; extremely warm. A foreign weight was flung across her waist and a hand was resting against the swell of her ass, pulling her flush against a wall. Slowly waking up, she cracked her eye to the sight of colors swirling through a canvas of olive tones. Dips and slopes of defined muscles behind taut olive skin reminded Poppy of the previous night and prompted the memory of the man she was currently in bed with.

Cautiously opening her eyes further, Poppy allowed herself a moment of uninterrupted gazing. She could never get tired of looking at the man in front of her. Throughout the day, he always carried a look of caution, eyes constantly scanning, never really taking the time to relax. While sleeping, he looked so young. Lashes every girl wished for caressing the tops of cheekbones that Greek gods were portrayed to have. A perfect brow bone with manly, yet clean, eyebrows. Full lips, a strong jawline that could cut glass, and skin blemish free minus faint scars from previous years.

And that was just his _face_!

His shoulders were at least double the width of hers, dwarfing her in the most comforting way. His torso had the model-perfect taper that led to strong, thick thighs that she had gotten a peek at last night. Poppy pictured what he was like betwe-

“If ya take a picture, it’ll last longer sweetheart.”

Poppy snapped her eyes up to smoldering embers peeking from a half-lidded gaze. The sleep in his voice had her insides turning to liquid fire. Besides the heat that their bodies were already generating, she could feel a blush flaring from her neck. It was one thing to stare, but to get caught was another.

“Uh… good morning?”

“Mornin’ sleepy head. Don’t stop staring now, I actually quite enjoyed being looked at like a piece of meat for once.” Tora lied, kind of. He _loved_ waking up to her staring at him the way she did. There was the expected heat behind her look that he was used to, but beyond that, there was almost a flare of adoration. He could be completely wrong but it sounded nice in his head.

“So, about last night…” Poppy was in the middle of thanking him, when an animal decided to make their presence known through his stomach. “Apparently your stomach has other plans besides us talking.”

Tora closed his eyes, embarrassed that his stomach decided to extra loud. “I’m usually up way earlier, which means I’ve already eaten by now. I’m a growing boy.”

“I doubt you’re still growing mister six foot three. How about I cook and we’ll talk afterwards?”

“Sounds good.” Tora was attempting to roll out of bed when he felt his arm being pulled back. Poppy had her hands circled around his forearms, leaning back dramatically to keep him in place. “What’re ya doin?”

“I want you to relax and stay in bed till I’m done cooking.”

Laughing, Tora dropped back in bed. “That’s not gonna happen Bobby. I appreciate it, but no. I’ll just chill on your couch or somethin.”

“Fine, what do you want to eat?”

“Whatever your little heart desires kid.” Tora pushed himself out of the bed, giving the morning light a glorious view of him in just his boxers as he stretched his arms over his head. Poppy had never noticed before, but he had a perky backside. It was kind of cute.

“I’ll give you a spare toothbrush and my extra deodorant.” Refusing to get caught staring again, Poppy bolted from the bed, beelining to the bathroom for relief and to brush her teeth. After a brief pep talk, she busied herself in the kitchen cooking a mountain of eggs, bacon, and pancakes for Tora.

Finishing the last strip of bacon and pancake, she saw Tora out of the corner of her eye. He looked the epitome of prowling cat, slowly stalking through her apartment and softly touching all of her plants. He had left his shirt off; his jeans were still unbuttoned and low slung on his hips. His hair had been left down and he was barefoot.

_Who knew being barefoot in jeans without a shirt could be so sexy? Go figure._

“Whatcha cookin’?” Tora had made his way into her kitchen and leaned against her counter.

“Well, after hearing the demon in your stomach, I made bacon, eggs and pancakes. I cut up strawberries for the top. Or I have syrup in the cabinet if you want that instead.”

“Strawberries is fine, I don’t do that fake sugar shit.” He reached behind him and pulled down plates for them. Poppy surreptitiously glanced at him, seeing how his back muscles coiled and uncoiled while performing such a mundane task. “Do you need help with anything?”

“No, but thanks. I’m just about finished.” Scrapping the eggs into a bowl gave her a moment to still her fast beating heart and piling the bacon onto a separate plate and pulling the massive tower of pancakes from the oven allowed her to catch her breath. Tora took the bowls and plates from her, setting them on the table and grabbing silverware from her drawer. Poppy grabbed juice and water from the fridge and walked back, meeting him at the table at the same time. She thought to herself that for as big as Tora was and as small as her kitchen is, they moved around one another with easy effort. The synchrony between the two did not go unnoticed by Tora either as he sat himself at her table.

Without hesitation, Poppy prepared two plates for Tora before compiling her own with way less food than his. As she handed him the bowl of cut strawberries, he grabbed her hand, stopping her from leaving his side. “Thanks for cookin sweetheart.”

“It’s no problem. I hope its enough food for you. If not, I can always make more.”

“Nah, this is perfect Bobby.”

Nodding her head as she sat, she smiled at the atmosphere of a simple morning with him. Tora watched her as he dug into the feast in front of him. She basically drenched the two pancakes on her in plate in syrup, creating a puddle of extra goo around her stack. Simply looking at the sticky shit made Tora’s teeth ache, but seeing the enjoyment on her face made him feel like he could tolerate the sight just for her.

After a few minutes of peaceful silence, Tora ventured a sensitive topic, hoping not to ruin her somewhat better mood. Without looking from his food, he said, “If you have time, I want to get you better locks for your front door and balcony.”

“What’s wrong with what I have now?”

Debating on being completely honest, Tora decided on just sticking with the scary truth. “I can pick ya front door lock in less than a minute; same with ya balcony door. I need to know ya safer than that, especially after that asshole’s show in the bar last night.”

Tora was right. As much as Poppy wanted to think she could protect herself in the event of an emergency, after Julri’s tantrum she didn’t exactly trust herself to be safe if it ever came down to survival. There was no use in fighting him on it.

“Ok. I’m off today since Gil told me not to come in, so I definitely have the time.”

Tora released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Good. We’ll swing by the bar, grab your car and go to the hardware store after.”

Poppy simply hummed in agreeance, alerting Tora to an assumed change in her mood. He didn’t understand what she could have been upset about except the fact that she wouldn’t be paying for any of it. She didn’t know it yet, but he planned on spending money on good quality locks for her.

_Wait._

“Shit, Bobby I’m sorry. I was just demanding shit without asking first.”

“No, no you’re right.” Poppy was still stuck on the fact that her locks were that easy to pick. And how Tora knew that without actually doing it. She knew his lifestyle was… different, but this alluded to some things she didn’t want to think about yet. “My locks are mediocre at best. No reason to fight you on it.”

“So, what’s got you thinkin so hard over there?”

“The whole situation really. I just want to make sure you know how grateful I am for everything that you’ve done. Especially last night, going out of your way to take care of a girl you hardly know outside of a specific environment.”

“We can change that…” Tora mumbled it low enough so that hopefully Poppy didn’t heat.

“What was that?”

 _Shit._ “I said it’s no problem. But I’m not the only one who woulda stepped in. Hell, even Scharch and his sadistic ass woulda done somethin.”

Poppy saw the faint blush across his cheeks. She knew he said something else but she didn’t press it. She stood up from the table, grabbing her empty plate and putting them in the sink for later. “Well, I’m sure he would’ve enjoyed himself. You finish eating, I’m going to change before we leave.”

Tora’s eyes followed her to her bedroom, letting out a loud sigh as he heard her door close. He was glad he wasn’t caught. It’s not the fact that what he said wasn’t true. He _wanted_ to give her everything that rat of an ex couldn’t; she deserved that and more. But he couldn’t. His life was shit, his emotions were shit, and he didn’t have the foggiest fuckin clue what to do with a woman. Last night was a good reason why he deserved to be alone.

Tora cleared the rest of the table and washed the dishes for Poppy. Dressing in his clothes from last night that he brought from her bedroom, he tied up his hair in some resemblance of bun. He was sliding his cut across his shoulders when Poppy emerged from her room.

“Ok, I’m ready whenever you are.” She had dressed in ripped jeans, white canvas shoes and a shirt that said “why can’t someone else just do it.” Across her chest; her hair had been put into two braids framing her face.

_Why is she so damn beautiful? Fuckin effortless for her._

“Yea. Let me call a cab and we’ll head over. Ya got your keys?”

“Yep, everything’s in my purse.”

Tora called for the cab and thirty minutes later they were dropped off in the parking lot. Tora was helping Poppy out of the cab when he heard her choke on a sharp intake of breath.

“What’s wrong?”

Poppy was staring at her car, trying not to scream when Tora turned around and saw the damage she was seeing. Dull streaks of off white and yellow gunk were smeared across the surface of car. From the looks of it, it was egg and if he was right, then her paint job was fucked.

“What the hell is all of that?”

“If I was a betting man, I’d say egg. It’s likely dry by now with it being so hot, which means your paint is done.” Tora looked down to see Poppy angrily clenching her fists, displacing her anger into a physical release. “Look sweetheart, I know someone who does car paint. I can get this fixed, promise.”

Poppy could feel her anger rising, bringing tears to her eyes. “That’s not the point, Tora! You’ve already to had to fix my problems once before. Now you’re offering to do it again because my needle dick, douche bag ex-boyfriend wants to be childish. We’re not together anymore and I’m tired of his bullshit!” Poppy punctuated the expletive with a stomp of her tiny foot, giving Tora quite the show and a good laugh. “You think this is funny?”

Tora schooled his face into a blank expression, “Not at all sweetheart, but you stomping your foot like an angry hamster _is_ funny.”

“I’m so happy that someone is having a good time in this situation. Glad I can provide you entertainment at my expense.”

Tora slung his arm around her shoulders, squeezing her into his side in an attempt to comfort her. “Bobby, I ain’t laughin at ya expense. The way ya express your anger is just cute.”

Poppy giggled and playfully swung a fist up to his shoulder. Tora quickly blocked it and tucked her arm to her side. “Feisty. It’s cute cause ya got big hamster balls.” Poppy slipped her other arm free from his hug and swung higher, intending for her fist to be caught. Instead, it caught with Tora’s nose, snapping his head back and bringing forth a small stream of blood.

“OH MY GOD! I didn’t think I’d land that, I’m so sorry Tora!” Tora was holding his nose while still processing the act of being hit in the face for the first time in years… by a hamster no less. He scrunched his nose, felling the beginnings of the soreness already settling in his face.

“Not bad for a hamster. You’re the first person to land a blow on my face in years.”

“Really?”

Tora chuckled at the slight joy on her face. “That makes ya happy? Just get in the car. We’ll drop yours off at the shop and grab my car.”

Poppy quickly unlocked and settled in her car. Tora, on the other hand, struggled to fold his large frame into her little coupe. Even with the seat all the way back his knees still pressed against the dash. Awkwardly reaching between his splayed legs, she cracked opened her glove compartment and handed him a napkin.

The short drive to the shop was quiet. Poppy glanced at Tora every few seconds wondering if his nose was okay. By then, his nose had stopped bleeding but he still had the napkin pressed to his face in case. When she pulled up to the shop, watching Tora climb and practically fall out of her car looked harder than it was for him to get in. It took him an entire minute, and some choice words of pain, to completely gather himself and stand up from her car. Poppy walked behind Tora into the office, coming across Quincey behind the counter, clicking away at a keyboard.

“Just who I wanted to see. Got a project for ya.” Quincey looked up and saw Tora, nose red and slightly swollen.

“Hello to you too boo boo. Projects are always fun. What is it?”

“Poppy’s car needs a new paint job.”

“I mean, sure, but her car is…” Quincey leaned his body around Tora, peering out of the glass door. His eyes went wide when he finally zeroed in on the egg wash coating Poppy’s car. “Yeah, her car is _not_ fine. What the hell happened?”

Poppy quickly relayed the story from this morning, conveniently leaving out the punch to the face.

“Ok, so what color are we doing? Black? Red? Oh! What about purple? That would look stunning on that little car of yours.”

Poppy tried to keep up with the speed of Quincey’s speech but gave up and smiled. “Can it stay orange please? It’s my favorite color.”

“Of course, darling. The paint job isn’t going to be quick though. Do you have another car to use?”

 _Crap._ Poppy didn’t think that far. She could always ask Erdene for rides to work, but she would have to go in the opposite direction just to pick her up. Jacob lived on the other side of town, and Gil shared a vehicle with his wife. Maybe she-

“She’s going to use my car.” Poppy stared at Tora, grateful for the offer. Looking back to Quincey, she saw shock and wide eyes. She was confused at his response, wondering if she had missed something while in her inner ramblings. Quincey bounced his eyes back and forth between her and Tora.

_Oh, I see you now, bro._

“What the fuck is wrong with ya face?”

“Nothing, I’m just wondering when you two are going to get married. You know, since no one drives your car but you. And she’s about to use it for an unspecified amount of time…”

Tora rolled his eyes, looking out the window. “Knock it off, princess.” Tora reached up, pretending to scratch his head while hopefully hiding yet another blush on his face. “Just get her car done Quince.”

He reached down and grabbed her wrist, pulling her through the back hallway. Poppy had to jog to keep up with his long and aggravated strides. She turned and waved to Quincey who was leaning over the counter to watch them leave, a Cheshire smile across his face.

“Bye Quincey! Be nice to Maxine, she’s sensitive!”

“Oh, I’ll take good care of her. I’ll let your man know when she’s done.”

Poppy had the urge to correct him, but thinking more about it, she rather liked the sound of it. She knew nothing would ever come of it, but Tora being her _man_ , not just a boyfriend, sounded really nice.

There was an attraction between them, but was she the only one who felt it? Was she simply just a friend to him?

The last question put a damper on her mood, but was renewed when Tora switched his grip from around her wrist to interlacing his fingers within hers. Being walked through the shop gave her a chance to see everyone; giving waves and smiles made her feel good, even throwing a small wave when she passed by an office that Scharch was sitting in. Poppy thought she saw a grimace cross his face, but thought better of it.

Eventually, Tora pushed them through a back exit, bringing them to a parking lot, seeing his Subaru sitting there.

“Ya can use my car till Quincey is done. I ride pretty much everywhere unless its raining, so the car just sits.” Tora dug the keys out of his pocket and dangle them in front of her.

“Are you sure you’re ok with this? I can just carpool with Dene.”

He grabbed Poppy’s hand and put the keys in her open palm. “I’m sure sweetheart. I don’t want ya to have to rely on other people. Plus, I know how much ya like your independence.”

Poppy was shocked at how much he had noticed about her over the past few months.

_Maybe there is something between us…_

Tora walked over to open the passenger side door for her, waiting for her to pull her legs in before he closed the door. He rounded the car to the driver’s side and took the keys from her, starting the car and taking them to the hardware store.

As usual, the drive was quiet. Without thinking, Tora reached over and placed his hand on her thigh. He felt Poppy tense for a second when he realized what he had done.

“My bad Bobby…”

“Oh, no, its fine,” Poppy was fighting to not reach back over and grab his hand to put it back. The heat from his hand had seeped through her jeans so quick and she already missed it. “I, uh, I actually didn’t mind it.”

Tora briefly took his eyes off the road to look at her. She was staring out the window, red a rose and fidgeting her fingers in her lap. “Ok then.” He gently placed his hand back on her thigh, smirking to himself.

Poppy looked back to Tora to see him smiling. “Those dimples should be illegal. They’re deadly when you flash them like that.”

“Guess it’s a good thing you’re the only one who really sees ‘em then.” He squeezed her thigh, pulling laugh out of her in the process.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tora knew exactly what he was looking for. It was just a matter of whether they were good enough for her. He had been staring at the wall of locks and grilles for ten minutes when he started to feel the stares of the people around them.

He had trained himself over the years to ignore the bullshit. Women looked at him in one of two ways: a scary thug or a potential notch. Men only saw him as a threat. Either way, the shit was annoying. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but it still made him self-conscious.

Poppy noticed how much Tora had started to retreat back into himself, and she knew why. She hated seeing him under the scrutiny of strangers and how much it affected him. She took it upon herself to fix it and intertwined his fingers with hers, wrapping her hand around his elbow and pushing her body closer. Tora, confused, looked down at the woman next to him. She winked at him, silently letting him she was _there._ He felt the pressure in his chest ease and smiled, thanking her for hamster protection services. With her, he didn’t feel like some stray cat, like a common biker thug; he felt human, like he was a real person.

Tora finally made a decision and purchased the new lock and grille. Driving back to the apartment was smooth, his hand right back where it had started. He spent the better part of the afternoon installing them for her, Poppy feeding him lunch when he took a break. He had sent a quick to Gyu earlier in the day asking him to have his bike at Poppy’s that afternoon. Poppy and Tora bickered about her trying to pay him back for the locks, but Tora shut it down as quick as it came up. It was almost four in the afternoon when he decided it was about time he left.

“I gotta get ready to leave Bobby.”

“Oh, ok.” Poppy wasn’t expecting to feel as sad hearing him say that he had leave. She knew that he wasn’t going to be here forever, but she enjoyed the time with him. He made her world seem less empty. Yeah, she saw him every weekend, but she was always working. She didn’t get time like this with him. She wanted this to be a regular occurrence but no way to express it without possibly ruining it forever.

Tora saw the inner battle on her face. He walked up to her and wrapped her in a hug, a hug that ascended the boundaries of “friendship.” He bent down and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, hopefully expressing a modicum of what he was really felling inside.

“I’ll see you later this week at the bar. Be nice to my car, she’s sensitive.” He winked and threw her words from earlier back at her, bringing a smile to her perfect lips.

“Ok, I’ll see you later.”

Tora grabbed his cut and slipped his shoes on at the door. When he left, Poppy used her new locks to secure her door and walked to her balcony in time to see him push through the stairwell door. Leaning against the railing, she watched him as he got ready to leave. He swung his leg over the bike and revved the engine at her when he looked up and saw her. When he pulled out of the parking lot and rounded the corner, Poppy immediately felt the open space around her. He had only been here for one night and he already left enough of an impression for her to notice his absence.

She walked back into her apartment and slid her balcony door closed. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she sent Erdene a text in hopes for a quick reply.

_Wanna come over for wine and girl talk?_

In just the few seconds Poppy was hoping for, she got a reply.

_Absolutely! I’m comin prepared ;)_


	8. Soak Me in Bleach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ah, yes, the miscommunication issues ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact #1: I don't drink wine from glasses, cuz I have zero class. I always drink straight from the bottle and I drink a lot of it regularly, both the cheap and expensive shit lol. I blame the Marine Corps for my classlessness.
> 
> Fun Fact #2: My boyfriend was in the club before me, I was just at one of their bike nights with my best friend who was already in the club when h got into a fight with some random dude in another club and I cleaned him up. Also, blood really does get everywhere and is hard to fuckin clean, trust me.
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much for being patient with me through all of this. My midterms are next week so there probably wont be an update for 2 weeks or so. Y'all know the drill (we're 8 chapters in you better know it), holla at ya girl if you see some weird shit. Also, again, this chapter seems hella fuckin short to me... but whatevs.
> 
> All characters belong to Lilydusk, I just like putting them through emotional rollercoasters.

Erdene was the best friend a girl could ask for. No matter the problem Poppy had, she was always ready to go to bat for her. When Poppy had sent the text asking her to come over, she wasn’t surprised at her quick agreeance to stop by. While waiting for her to show up, she had finished doing small menial tasks that she had put off during the week. When she remembered she had dishes from the morning, she wasn’t shocked to find that they were done. Seeing an empty sink and knowing who did it brought a smile to her face. She told him not to worry about doing them, yet he still took the time to help where he could. She was still reminiscing to herself when there was a sharp knock at her door.

When se unlocked and opened her door, she was greeted with a bright smile and long, skinny arms holding out two bottles of wine in her face. “I come bearing gifts for tea, gossip, and or tears. Pick your poison love.”

Poppy giggled, pulling Erdene into her home. As she closed the door, she peeked at the labels across each bottle. “I’ll take that sweet red. You know I can’t drink that dry stuff that you like so much.”

Erdene passed the bottle she chose and walked into the kitchen, reaching for a cabinet that held her wine glasses. She paused mid-reach and turned back around, “We doin glasses or is it a straight from the bottle type of night?”

Looking to her now empty sink, Poppy decided she didn’t want to do any dishes tonight.

“Straight from the bottle.” Erdene tossed her head back as she laughed. Poppy pulled her bottle opener from her drawer and popped the corks on their bottles. Clinking the necks in a silent cheer, the women made their way to the living room, flopping down on the couch. While poppy was settling into a comfortable position, Erdene watched. She could see the stress on her face and knew that things were still bothering her.

“First and foremost, are you ok? After last night.”

Poppy twisted the bottle between her hands, feeling the liquid slosh around inside the dark bottle. “Good as I can be. The whole thing was more embarrassing than anything. He left a bruise on my arm, and it was kind of rough after, but Tora was nice enough to stay with me.”

Erdene wasn’t prepared for the nonchalance of Poppy breezing past that point, causing her to choke on a bit of wine she was trying to swallow. “I’m sorry, did you just say that he _stayed_ through the night with you?! That’s not something you just skip over girl!”

“It wasn’t like that, Dene. He just made sure Julri didn’t show back up here again. And he _just_ slept with me… kind of.”

“You’re blush says otherwise lady. Something happened.”

Poppy debated on how much to tell her. It’s not that she wanted to lie, but she didn’t want to put Tora in any kid of awkward position. She trusted Erdene, but she was known to grill someone when it wasn’t exactly necessary. “I’m serious, nothing happened. We just slept in the same bed together. The most I can say did happen was that he was holding me when we woke up.”

Erdene saw the light shining in her eyes. She looked just like that when she first started dating Julri, but it died out rather quickly. For her to have those sparkles and she not be dating Tora meant something, whether she admitted to it or not.

“You really like him, don’t you?”

Sucking in a deep breath and chugging a few good swills of her wine, she answered, “I do. No use in hiding it now. But I’m not sure if he likes me too. I mean, you see what he looks like and you’ve known him longer than me. We both know he can do way better than me on.”

“I’m gonna have to stop you right there before I smack you out of love and affection. I don’t know what the hell Julri put in your head, but you’re fuckin beautiful Pops. Any guy would kill to have you, and I would kill any man who thought otherwise when it comes to you. Plus, you may not see it, but we all know and see the way the man looks at you every chance he gets.”

Poppy felt the warmth in her face, wondering if it was the wine or just her. It always made her feel sensitive and exposed hearing praises like that, whether it was friends or family or a stranger. “You think so?”

“Oh, I know so. Look, I know I told you to be careful around those guys, and my concern still stands true, but after the way the MC stood up for you last night, there’s no doubt that those men, specifically one, care about you. Our big neighborhood tiger being the biggest factor.”

Poppy pondered on the pros and cons of actually putting herself out there with Tora. “What if he doesn’t feel the same way? What if I just embarrass myself with no way out? I still have to see him every weekend and then some.”

Erdene placed her hand on Poppy’s knee, “That’s a risk you’ll have to take. I think you should just go for it. And since we’re being honest, another thing you’ll have to accept is what Tora does for the club.”

Poppy perked at the mentioning of Tora’s club “job.”

“Do you know anything about that? Tora doesn’t really share too much about that part of his life.”

“What I know is only what I’ve heard from the grapevine in town, so who knows what is truth, and a little from Quincey.”

“How did you get information from Quincey?”

“You know, from talking… and stuff.” Erdene shoved the bottle in her mouth in hopes of Poppy seeing that she didn’t want to talk about it.

“Wait, you slept with Quincey? I thought he was gay…”

“Bi, but that’s besides the point. All I’m saying is you need to put yourself back out there. Your heart is too big to keep to yourself, and if Tora catches on, you need to be ready to accept him fully. There is no dark side without a light side. He has a dark past and I think you’re just the light he needs in his life.”

Poppy ruminated over the new information given by her friend. She wasn’t naïve enough to think that Tora had never done a bad thing in his life before, but if she took the hints from Erdene seriously… could she truly and wholeheartedly accept him and his past doings? She was the last person to judge another, she had been taught better and it still stuck with her into adulthood. Putting her safety, maybe even her life, at risk for man? It put Poppy on a fence she didn’t know she would have to straddle. There was only one way for her to find out if he was worth it.

“Ok, so if I decide to go through with this, which I haven’t decided yet, how do I go about it? I haven’t had to flirt or date in years. Hell, I’m surprised I lost virginity in that time.”

“I’m still mad you lost it to that piece of shit by the way.”

“You’re preaching to the choir. He wasn’t all that great either. He’s what you would call a two-pump-chump.” Poppy brought the bottle to her lips, ladylike in her movements with her pinky extended. Erdene busted into a fit of laughter, Poppy joining in thinking about the absurdity of her comment. Her friend was the first to sober, sitting straight up on the couch as if she had been hit.

“I have an idea. What if we gave you a makeover next Friday?”

Poppy deadpanned, seeing where her thoughts were headed. “If it requires me to go shopping, the answer is no.”

“What if I bought them for you?”

“No.”

Erdene looked heartbroken, yet still hopeful. “My clothes?”

Poppy shook her head, “I would say ok if you weren’t six inches taller and three sizes smaller. That would be like me putting on Barbie clothes.”

“Fine,” Erdene threw her arms across the back of her couch and laid her head back. “I’ll find something in your closet and make it work.”

The girls spent two hours ransacking Poppy’s closet. She watched as Erdene pulled multiple different pieces and paired it with others. If Poppy made a face, or if Erdene didn’t like the combination, clothes were thrown to the floor and the process started over again. Finally, the girls settled on an outfit that would need a few alterations to fit Erdene’s vision of “an outfit to make the tiger drool.”

“Now all you need is a pair of heels and you’ll be set.”

“Nope, I’m drawing the line at heels.” Poppy could already feel the aches and blisters on her feet just thinking about working a nine-hour shift in heels. “Can I just wear some nice boots or something?”

Erdene crossed her arms as she stared her friend down. The outfit they had settled on would look flawless with heels, but she was right. Working the floor in heels would be torture. “Fine, I’ll give you that one. You let me pick the outfit so I’ll cave in on the heels.”

“Just a warning, if this doesn’t work, I will haunt you when I die of embarrassment.”

“That’s fine, you can tag along with all my exes who said the same thing.”

They both talked through the rest of night while finishing their respective bottles. It was around eight when Erdene called it a night and gathered her things to leave. After Poppy walked her to the door and locked all of her new locks, she headed to the bathroom to shower the grime of the day off. Poppy played multiple different scenarios in her head of how that upcoming Friday night would play out. All of her pre-thinking already had her flushing in embarrassment. She had a strong feeling that no matter what happened, she would make a fool of herself.

She finished her shower, taking her time to go through the motions of her night routine. She was in bed, tossing and turning still thinking about what might happen. She finally gave up and fell asleep to thoughts of a tall tattooed man still lingering and plaguing her dreams.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Poppy lost track of the days. Monday and Tuesday had been like any other. Work and home. She hadn’t seen Tora in those few days, but it wasn’t abnormal for them to not see one another till the weekend. She couldn’t help the excitement she felt every time she heard the bell for the door to the bar, hoping to see him, even if it was only for a few minutes and quick hello. She fought the disappointment when she realized it was just some other person. By the end of the day, her nerves were frayed from the highs and lows of her emotion throughout the day, exhausting her enough to sleep soundly and dream of him at night.

Wednesday was her day off before the weekend rush, allowing her time to drop by the shop and check on the progress of her car. The last few times she had been there she had assumed it was Quincey’s main spot. Color her surprised when she walked in and saw Scharch sitting behind the counter, leaving Poppy to feel scared and nervous. Their previous run-ins and only conversation left a bitter taste in her mouth. She had tried very hard to avoid him when he came to the bar, but sometimes it couldn’t be helped. When she did have to help him, he rarely ever said anything more than his order, followed by a please and thank you. She felt trapped as they made eye contact, leaving her no choice but to converse with him.

“Hey.” Scharch stood up from his chair, fixing his clothes and schooling his expression to what she assumed was cordiality.

“Hey, have you seen Quincey?”

“Yeah, he’s in the back working on your car. Want me to get him for ya?”

“No, it’s fine,” Poppy tucked her hair behind her ear, fidgeting to help with the nerves racketing through her body. “I just wanted to check the progress of my car. I’ll ask him later. Thank you.”

Rushing to the door for an escape, Scharch called her name, causing a momentary pause in Poppy’s exit.

“Uhm, I want to apologize for how I treated you when we first met. That wasn’t very… gentleman like of me. I see now that you’re nothing like I thought you were. And… and I feel like a complete ass for thinking that way. I just want you to know I’m sorry.”

Poppy was dumbstruck. She had thought at this point she would never get an apology for that initial meet. She assumed he just didn’t care; she didn’t think there was a nice, sincere bone in his body. Its just like her Granny always told, “make assumptions and you make an ass out of yourself.”

“I’m sorry as well, for making assumptions about you as person. And thank you for apologizing to me. It really means a lot.” Scharch gave her a bright smile that changed the tone of his eyes. Looking back, his smile made his eyes the color of the ocean, warm with a summer breeze on a beach. Smiling, for him, completely changed his face in the best way possible. “If I don’t see you before then, I’ll see you Friday night with the rest of the club?”

“Sure thing Poppy, have a good day.”

Poppy was going to leave when she thought that asking Scharch where Tora’s been might not be a bad idea. “Hey, before I go, have you seen Tora lately?”

“Yeah, he just got back from doing a run for the President. He should be at his place now.”

Poppy pushed a little further, testing her luck on gathering information. “Do you know where he lives by chance?”

Scharch eyed her, curious as to where all these questions were coming from. Everybody knew that Tora had a thing for Poppy. There had been guys in the club who were caught talking about her and Tora found out, effectively losing his shit. Vincent had to tell him to either give up on her or control his anger. Scharch guessed beating people up wasn’t a good way to express your feelings.

“Yeah, he lives up above the shop.”

“Do you think you can take me to him? I need to talk to him.”

Scharch remembered the way he looked when he stormed through the back door. Tora always had this dour look on his face, but when he came back from these runs… he looked haggard and pissed.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea Pops. He’s usually in a piss mood when he comes back from these rides. I’m not sure he’s gonna be down for company.”

Erdene’s words rattled in Poppy’s head, reminding her that she would have to accept him for who he is and what he does; _all of him._ She was tired of being fed these excuses. Either Scharch was taking her or she was going to roam this entire building until she found him.

“Thanks for the concern, but I’m a big girl. If he’s got an attitude with me when he sees me, I’ll deal with it.”

Scharch knew a loss when he saw one, and he was losing big time to this headstrong woman. “Ok, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He walked her through a side door that led to a stairwell beside the main office. She had never noticed the door before so she was slightly surprised to see it appear almost out of thin air. At the top of the stairs was a long hallway with four doors. Scharch stopped at the first door on the right and gestured with his arm, “This is it. I know he’s here ‘cause his bikes out back. He should answer.”

“Thanks, I got it from here.” He waved as he turned to head back to the office, leaving Poppy alone in the poorly lit hallway. She steeled her spine and took a deep breath as she hesitantly knocked on the metal door.

No response.

She knocked again, harder than before. Faintly, there was rustling behind the door, but no footsteps coming her way.

_Seriously?_

Finally, Poppy banged her fist on the door. Tora was stomping around and cursing on his way to answer his door. He flung it open, pushing his hair out of his face, “Damn it, Quince, I said fuck off.”

Poppy could feel the anger radiating off of the man in waves. He was in rough shape; he hadn’t shaved for a few days, his shoulders were tensed to high heaven, muscles in his neck were corded to the point of taut visibility… and there was blood splatter.

Tora schooled his expression to a blank slate, “What’re ya doin here sweetheart?”

“Heard you were back in town after not hearing from you for a few days. I came to check on you. Are you ok?”

He debated on releasing some steam and venting to her about the shit show of a trip he had just returned from, thinking better of it in the end. “Bobby, I think you should go. I’m not the best company right now.”

“Well, that’s too bad.” Poppy pushed her way past him, stopping short to find his apartment swallowed in darkness. Not a single light was on and it didn’t help that there weren’t any windows in there. She toed of her shoes and walked further inside.

“Seriously, I’m not in the fuckin mood kid. We can catch up this weekend or some shit.” Tora heard the short-clipped words in his head echoing. He was struggling to not lose his shit on her. She didn’t need to see that side of him ever.

“I’m already here. And it looks like you need a distraction. So, suck it up buttercup.”

If this was any other day, Tora would’ve loved the feisty comeback. He was skating on thin ice, mentally and emotionally. If she kept pushing him, he was bound to snap and he didn’t want to hurt her. He closed the door and ground his teeth, gathering himself enough to resemble a normal person who didn’t just come back from a murder scene.

“Go get me a wet towel and meet me on the couch please.”

He was confused by the request but followed it anyways and headed to the bathroom. He took a few extra deep breaths before he made his way back to his living room. As he sat down, she took the towel from his grip and reached for his face.

“Fuck no, you’re not doin this shit again. I can clean myself.”

Hearing the testiness in his voice, Poppy kept her tone as neutral as possible. He was a ticking time bomb. His words were getting shorter by the minute and he was beginning to grind his jaw. “I’ve already done it once before, it’s not a big deal. Now come here, please.”

Tora could feel the blood rush to his head, causing the vein in his forehead to pulse. Seeing the seriousness in her eyes, he let her win this round. Leaning forward, he closed his eyes and allowed for Poppy to gently wipe away the specs of blood from his neck and face. He didn’t want her to touch any of the shit that covered his skin; he would douse himself in bleach before he ever let her get a real glimpse at what he looked like fresh from a job. At this point he had been doing shady shit for years, but what he could never get over was that blood got everywhere. Every time he came back to his place after a job, he spent hours in the shower. No matter how much he scrubbed and scrapped and lathered and disinfected, the blood would never fully go away. He was stained with the essence of so many lives, he wouldn’t be shocked to find a spot next to Satan just for him when he finally died.

Poppy could see the war on his face. She desperately wanted to bring him out of his thoughts, venturing for a simple question to test the turbulent waters. Lifting his head to stretch his neck, she noticed the broken and bruised skin on his knuckles and focused on that.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine.”

“Is there blood anywhere else?”

“No.”

Nodding, she pushed a little further. “Where did you go?”

“On a run for the President.”

“What did you have to do?”

Poppy had stopped wiping him down and was staring at him, watching the emotions flitter across his features. He opened his eyes when he processed her question. Tora dropped his head and looked her in her eyes, “I went to collect a debt that was owed to Vincent. Didn’t exactly go the way I wanted it to.”

“Have you had a shower?”

_Snap._

“What is this, round two of twenty questions? What are ya even fuckin doin here?”

Poppy was taken aback by the switch in his demeanor. She saw a wall had come up, and Tora didn’t want anyone on his side, but she thought maybe she could be the one to help him through his comedown. “What do you mean? I’m just trying to help.”

“I mean ya come in here, acting like we’re together or some shit. Takin care of shit that has nothin to do with you. I don’t know what the fuck you were expectin or wantin from me, but this ain’t fuckin it.”

Tears began to well in the corners of her eyes. Poppy refused to shed any tears for a man who refused to accept a simple helping hand. She looked up to the ceiling, willing the tears to fall back into her ducts and took a deep breath to calm the anger building in her chest.

“You know what? I’m sorry. I’m sorry for coming to check on _you_ and make sure _you_ were ok. If you’re going to be a raging dick about it, you can take my niceness and shove it up your ass Tora.” Poppy quickly grabbed her things and threw the wet cloth in his face, hearing a satisfying smack when it connected. Before she forgot, she reached in her purse and grabbed the keys to his car, “Your car is in the parking lot. I don’t need it anymore.”

Before Tora could react, he heard the resounding slam of his door echo throughout his head. Clutching the towel in his fist, he stood from the couch and began pacing, trying to find an outlet for this weird tenseness in his throat.

_I wasn’t wrong! We’re not together! There’s no reason she should be takin care of me like that. So why the FUCK do I feel like a piece of shit._

**_Because ya don’t deserve her._ **

**_You’re the scum of the earth bro, ya hurt people on a regular basis and ya got issues._ **

**_Either you were gonna hurt her or someone else would do it ‘cause of you. She could do so much better._ **

That voice in his head never stopped. It was always right there when Tora had even the smallest thought of being happy. That voice was never wrong though.

Tora sat back down on his couch and propped his elbows on his knees, leaning forward, staring at an imaginary spot on his wall. He took one deep breath and felt his throat constrict further. Dropping his head in his hands, he felt the tears slowly fall down his cheeks. He hadn’t cried in fuckin years and all it took was a short, feisty, beautiful woman telling him he sucked at life to make his steel walls melt, to make him _hope_.

Tora scrubbed his face and leaned back on his couch.

_Fuck that, I’m not losing her like this._

He stood up hoping to catch her downstairs. As he ran through the doors, he caught sight of Scharch’s car leaving the lot. Thinking nothing of it, he found Quincey behind the counter filing his nails.

“Princess, where’d Poppy go?”

Quincey looked at him, catching the faint yet telltale signs that the man had been crying. Poppy hadn’t looked much better, but she was more in tune with her emotions to wait until she was away from the source of her distress to process her feelings. Tora had no idea what to do with anything accept his anger and indifference. To see his eyes red rimmed and puffy could only mean she had struck a deep-rooted nerve with him.

_Damn honey, she got ya good didn’t she?_

“She just left.”

“Erdene pick her up?”

Thinking about it, Quincey realized he was covering for Scharch so he could leave, conveniently when Poppy was leaving. “No, I think Scharch took her home.”

Tora heard a ringing in his ears thinking about that sadistic shit head being close to her. He couldn’t be too mad though; Scharch knew what she meant to him and the club, so he wouldn’t do something that stupid. And Poppy had a safe-ish ride home. He just hoped that Scharch didn’t further upset her after his royal fuck up.


	9. Like it Doesn't Hurt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys give me so much life. Thank you for all the kind words and encouragement for my status update.  
> Y'all might've made me shed a thug tear or two. I'll never tell you though lol.
> 
> I won't make this too long, but I really do hope you enjoy this chapter.
> 
> As usual, these characters belong to Lilydusk. I just like putting them through the shits.

_In the car…_

Poppy came barreling down the stairs, startling Scharch and causing him to spill the water in his hand. She had gathered the courage to ask him for a ride home, and seeing her face red and tear stained, he couldn’t say no to her. Now, sitting in his car in front of her place, he didn’t know if he should ask her if she was ok or not. Obviously, something happened between her and Tora, and he knew it was absolutely none of his business, but something inside of him was pulling him in a dangerous direction. Poppy was making no move to leave his car, so Scharch took advantage of the time to truly make sure she was ok.

“Poppy, you ok?” Scharch leaned forward against his steering wheel, hoping to get a better look at her blank face.

“Yeah, just embarrassed. I knew going in there that he was in a bad mood. I tried to help and I think I just made him uncomfortable when I overstepped. He snapped at me and it hurt my pride. I owe him an apology, but he owes me one too for the things he said.”

Poppy quickly swiped at a stray tear that had escaped. Scharch looked through his windshield and carefully strung together his words.

“I’m gonna let you in on a little secret. No matter who went up there, Tora woulda bit off their head. Even his brother Quincey woulda got the shit end of the stick. Tora’s been doin this for a long time, so we all know when to avoid him. Not gonna lie, this time seemed to be a little more rough than usual, and I don’t know why. I don’t wanna know; he’s seen and done a lot more shit than the rest of us. It doesn’t help that he’s so close to Vincent either. Maybe one day he’ll open up and tell you about it. God knows that man needs some fuckin therapy,” Poppy giggled, Scharch feeling some of the tension leave the car. “But I will say this… the fact that he let you in _means_ something. Maybe he was hoping for a better outcome like you were. You’re a good woman for him Pops, for any man in that matter. You may not be together now, but I have a strong feeling you will be soon. Just please don’t give up on him now.”

Poppy worked through his speech while she sat in his car. She had no plans to give up on Tora, but hearing some reassurance from Scharch of all people made her feel a little better. Taking off her seatbelt, she leaned over and gave him a hug.

Scharch stiffened on reflex, but soon returned her hug. Thinking to himself, he knew that this was all he would ever get, and it was something he was going to have to accept.

_I swear to god Big Bro, if you fuck this up, I’ll kill you. You’re so lucky she only looks at you._

“Thank you for that. It really helped. I’ll see you Friday night.”

Scharch watched as she got out her car and walked in her apartment building. Before she let the door close, she turned and waved, telling him bye once again. As he put his car in drive, he felt a little piece of himself crumble, knowing that he would never find a girl like her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Poppy was kicking off her shoes when she heard her phone go off with the alert of a text message. She held her breath a she stood in her living room and opened her text app. It could be a text from anyone, but she was hoping it was from someone specific. Releasing the held breath, she clicked on the message.

_Tora: hey, when ya get a chance, can we talk?_

Poppy clenched her fingers around her phone. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to talk so soon, but maybe it would be best to get it all out sooner rather than later. She steeled herself as she typed her reply.

_Poppy: I’ll call you later tonight._

Quickly backing out of the text chain, Poppy started another text to Erdene.

_Poppy: Can you call me on your break?_

She didn’t expect an answer because she was at work today, but hopefully she would read it and feel the sense of urgency that was currently consuming Poppy. She filled her time with getting things ready for work the next day as she waited for a response from her best friend. It had only been forty-five minutes when Poppy heard her phone ringing from the kitchen, the caller ID displaying Erdene’s face and name. She answered with the intent to not cry, tired of shedding her tears.

“Hey, you needed me to call? Everything ok?”

“Yeah,” Poppy could already feel the tears building in her lashes. “So, I kinda ran into a problem today…”

Poppy spent the next thirty minutes explaining to Erdene what happened and the ultimate embarrassment she felt after the whole ordeal. Dene was empathetic enough to let her get it all out before she said anything. She had known Poppy for years and was understanding of how sensitive she was, but this was a new level of secondhand embarrassment. Her heart was HUGE, and sometimes that was her downfall. She leads her life doing what most people only hope to do, and it’s a beautiful thing to witness. Unfortunately, that’s not the world they lived in, and it hurts her in the end every time.

“Dene, I have no idea what to do now. Him saying all of that let me know he’s not interested in anything with me. So, I guess Friday’s plan is a bust.”

“Hell no, it’s not! This is even more of a reason to go through with it! Now you have to show him what he’s missing out on. How much he fucked up. Don’t get me wrong, you both pushed boundaries you weren’t comfortable with. You both made a mistake, but he definitely shouldn’t have said those things to you. So, Friday will be both a payback _and_ a segue into you talking it out and both apologizing.”

Poppy nibbled on the nail of her thumb, “You think it’ll work?”

“We’re going to make him eat his heart out. So, here’s the plan…” Erdene spent the next five minutes going over the plan for that Friday, them going to work together, and what she thought Tora was going to do watching her ignore him all night. By the end of their planning session, Poppy felt a little more empowered than she had compared to earlier in the day. When they finished their conversation and Erdene went back to work, she was excited for Friday night, but her excitement was short-lived when she remembered she still had to call Tora.

Poppy walked over to her couch and put a pillow in her lap. She didn’t know what he wanted to talk about that couldn’t be said in person, but she would hear him out. She already had his contact pulled up on her phone, but she was hesitant to connect the call.

“Stop being a sissy and just call him Poppylan. You’re a big girl. You can do this.” She hit the phone button, immediately hearing the ring back on the other side while consecutively racking up her nerves. Before she thought he wasn’t going to pick up, she heard the distinctive click of him answering.

“Bobby…”

“Hi.” She tucked her legs under her butt and pulled the pillow to her chest. “You wanted me to call?”

“I just wanted to make sure you got home ok.”

“Oh.” Poppy felt a bubble of disappointment begin in her stomach. Of course, that’s all he would care about. She left without his car so he wanted to know how she got home.

“Heard Scharch took ya home.”

“Yeah, he was nice enough to drive me home since Quincey wasn’t done with my car.”

Tora grunted on the other side of the phone. Poppy didn’t know how else to move the conversation along, but he ended up doing it for her. “That’s all I wanted to talk about. See ya tomorrow?”

“Uh, sure.” Poppy felt the bubble grow to the size of a balloon. She tried to keep her hopes down, but not hearing any sort of apology from him put a nugget of doubt back in her mind.

“Ok, g’night Bobby.”

“Good night.” Poppy waited to hear him hang up before she took the phone away from her ear. She dropped her hands down into her lap and locked her phone. She dragged her body from the couch to her bed, dropping the pillow on the floor. The balloon in her stomach had moved its way to her chest, making it harder for her to breathe. Flopping down on her bed was enough to make the latex made of her sadness burt, releasing a steady flow of tears down her cheeks. Poppy cried herself to sleep with hopes that Friday brought better days in her future, whether they included Tora or not.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

_Friday Night_

“Stop moving or I’m going to mess up your mascara.”

Erdene had been in Poppy’s apartment for over two hours trying to get her ready. They weren’t in any rush, but Poppy knew she was enjoying this. It had been a long time since they were able to spend time together doing girly things. Erdene came into her life halfway through high school, but they took to one another almost instantly. She fit right into the circle of her and her two cousins. Poppy was still the oddball of the group but the girls never made it awkward for her to be herself any time they were together. Graduation was hard since Poppy had made the decision to move to Narin City for college; it didn’t stop them from talking to each other every day though. Once she started dating Julri was when things got tense between the two. Never enough to end their friendship, but just enough to know that her relationship back then was a no-go topic.

“Sorry, it just feels weird wearing it. You know I don’t do this very often.” Poppy’s eyes felt heavier than usual with the mascara coating her lashes. She trusted Erdene wholeheartedly, but there was a clear difference between them when it came to style.

“Exactly, so stop fidgeting so I can enjoy the sight for as long as possible.” Erdene shoved the wand back into the tube and took a step back, admiring her handy work on her friend’s face. “Hot damn, I did a pretty good job. I mean, you’re absolutely beautiful without any of this shit on your face, but something about a nice winged eyeliner and some mascara makes your eyes pop.”

Poppy turned her head to the mirror and saw what Erdene had accomplished. She was right, her eyes did look bigger and brighter; the liner wasn’t too outrageous and there was just enough mascara to make her lashes look twice as long. She had the barest amount of foundation, a dusting of blush and some gloss.

“Thanks Dene. It’s not too different than what I would do myself.”

“Don’t sweat it girly. Now get dressed, we have to leave in twenty-five minutes so we’re not late for work.”

Poppy quickly dressed in the outfit they had picked out earlier in the week, to include the sensible Vans they decided to go with. After a quick brush of her hair and a spritz of perfume, she grabbed her stuff for the night and walked out, awaiting the final verdict from Erdene.

“How do I look?” Erdene was fixing her lipstick in the mirror by her front door when she walked out of her bedroom. Her jaw was hanging for a few seconds before she closed it and her lipstick, but she still hadn’t said anything. “Dang it, Dene, do I look that bad?”

She had been dressed in a band t-shirt that Erdene found in the very back of her closet. She took it and cropped it, cut some holes and spot bleached it to make it feel more vintage. Erdene cut it just short enough to allow for Poppy’s fishnet bralette to peek out from the bottom. For jeans, she wore a pair of acid washed black high-rise jeans that hugged her thighs and hips. Poppy stepped out of her comfort zone and brushed her hair into a deep side part, leaving it to hang in chocolate waves down her back. She looked like every man’s “90s grunge” fantasy and she pulled it all together perfectly.

“Pops, you look phenomenal. Tora is going to eat his shit tonight.”

With Erdene’s emphatic response, Poppy didn’t feel so out of place. “I hope he does after the things he said the other day. But if not, oh well. I heard from Gyu that there’s going to be another out of town chapter here tonight, so we better get going, we’re going to be busy all night.”

While Poppy locked up her apartment, Erdene got another look at her friend and admired the confidence she was showing.

_You’re going to be in for a real treat big guy._

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pulling up to the bar, the girls noticed that the usual number of bikes had nearly doubled with the other MC being in town. One Erdene had parked the car, Jacob met them at the back door while he was taking out the trash.

“GOD DAMN! Is that Poppy?!”

She blushed and tried to hide her face behind the curtain of her hair.

“I know right? Doesn’t she look fantastic?” Erdene grabbed her by the shoulders and practically shoved her to stand in front for Jacob to get a good view.

“Good grief woman, you’re gonna give everybody whiplash with those curves out tonight.”

Looking down at her legs, Poppy asked, “Do I really look that different?”

Jacob closed the lid to the dumpster and wiped his hands on a towel from his back pocket. “No, but you always come to work dressed for comfort. Not to be a man eater.”

The trio laughed as they walked into the back of the bar. While the girls put their purses and phones in their lockers, Poppy heard the cacophony of voices coming from the bar. It was early for most of them to be here, giving Poppy an idea of how the night was going to go.

Walking into the bar was like walking into a daycare center. People were in every corner, men and women were going back and forth from one end of the bar to the other, and the night had barely started. Most of the MC had already showed up, along with their visitors, but Poppy knew there was someone missing. Before pulling around to the employee parking lot, Poppy had noticed that Tora’s bike wasn’t amongst the rest. Might not have been exactly what she wanted, but him not being there yet gave her time to get her mind ready for the long night ahead of her.

Poppy was two hours into her shift with still no sign of Tora. It was starting to worry her, but she was so busy with everyone else in the bar that she didn’t have time to give it too much thought. She was only reminded of him when someone complimented her on her choice of outfit for the night. Poppy had just placed Vincent and his company’s beers on the table when she bent to give him a hug and noticed him walking in.

“You dressed like this because of hm, huh?” Vincent had laid a hand on her arm in a comforting manner to get her attention.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Poppy was grabbing some of the empty glasses from his table when he responded.

“You say that, but I’m old enough to be your father. I was married once. I know what it looks like when a woman is trying to set a man off. Let’s just hope my son gets his head out of his ass sooner rather than later.” Squeezing her hand in reassurance, Vincent stood and greeted Tora when he finally made it back to his table. “Tora, I assume your trip was successful?”

“Yea, you’ll be hearing from The Jokers’ President next week.” Tora didn’t even so much as spare a glance in Poppy’s direction before he left to sit with Gyu and Quincey. Hugging the tray to her chest, she felt Vincent lay a hand against her shoulder.

“Don’t sweat it Pops, he’ll notice you before the end of the night. I can bet good money on how my son thinks.”

_I hope so._

Poppy left to get back to work, noticing another uptick in customers streaming through the door. It was further into the night when the MC and their visitors started showing their true colors. Women were coming out of the woodworks, flitting through the bar and claiming their prey for the night. Most of the guys there welcomed the attention, but a woman with bright pink hair had caught her attention earlier in the night. She was dressed in a pair of ripped skin tight jeans, leading to thigh high boots that made her legs look like they were miles long. Her shirt was almost nonexistent, merely a scarp of fabric tied in the back that showed off her lean figure and perky, probably fake, breasts. She had been circling her way around the bar, but she always had her eyes on one person: Tora. She had finally settled at a table with her friends when she waved for Poppy.

“What can I get you ladies?”

“Yeah, can we get four beers please?” Before Poppy turned away, pink-haired lady called her back. “What’s your name?”

“It’s Poppy.”

“Weird name, but cute. My name’s Candy.”

Poppy cordially nodded her head and continued to the bar. Telling Jacob their order, Poppy took a moment to process the night so far. Tora had been ignoring her since the moment he got here. Every now and then she would feel his stare, but when she checked for him, he was never looking at her. It was starting to ruin her good mood from earlier, making her realize with clarity that maybe there really was never any kind of spark between them. It was all in her head.

When Jacob loaded her tray with the beers, Poppy finally noticed that Candy had ordered four. There were only three women at the table, so she could take a wild guess at who the fourth beer could be for. Poppy went and dropped the beer off before she left for more rounds through the room.

“Anything else I can for you ladies?”

Candy stood up straight, almost four inches taller than her with her heels. “Question; how do I look?”

“You look good.”

“Sweet, now wish me luck girls. I’m trying to go home with him tonight.” Candy shifted her shirt lower to show off more cleavage and grabbed the extra beer. Poppy watched as she sauntered over to the table that Tora was sitting at, putting an extra swing in her hips as she walked. She chuckled to herself knowing that he’ll at least turn the beer down since he doesn’t drink like the others. Poppy pretended to clear off a table close by to see the scene unfold.

Candy finally got to his table and placed the beer in front of him, leaning over his back and whispering something in his ear. From the angle she was at, Poppy couldn’t tell what Tora did, but it seemed like it was enough incentive for Candy to drape her arms over his shoulders, spreading her hands across his chest and effectively pushing her own chest into his back. For a split second, Poppy felt the beginnings of her pride being hurt, but was soon tickled to see Tora unwrap her arms and put the untouched beer back in her hands. After giving her a signature head nod, he leaned forward to further cut off any hopes of continuing a conversation with him and left her standing in the middle of the room dumbfounded. Gathering herself, Candy stomped back to her table with an angry look on her face. Poppy kept up her charade of cleaning and moved to a table closer to the group of friends.

“There’s no way. He’s absolutely gorgeous and he turned _me_ down. Who wouldn’t want to spend a night with me?” Her friends encouraged her in her narcissistic rant, telling her that she was right. “I think he was lying when he said he seeing someone. Even his friends looked shocked!”

Poppy thought she had misheard her. Tora had never mentioned seeing anybody before. Not that he had to, but it would have been nice to know. Unless…

_No, absolutely not. He wouldn’t. Especially after the other day… would he?_

Not giving it another thought, Poppy heard her name being called yet again, seeing Scharch waving her over to his table. A quick glance at the clock behind the bar told she had an hour and a half before last call and it couldn’t come quick enough. Her feet were killing her and she was let down that she had been ignored all night.

Poppy took a moment to rest her feet while she waited for another tables’ order and felt a body slide up next to her.

“Hey there beautiful, how ya doin tonight?” Poppy looked over to see a man, well over six feet tall with blue hair and familiar eyes. He was wearing a cut, but he was from the visiting chapter; same Balthuman patch on the back but definitely from another city seeing as how the patch above his name said ‘Vice President.’ Something about him was extremely familiar but Poppy knew she had never spoken to him before then. She would have recognized the face as well as the tattoos seeing as how he was covered in them.

“Tired, but I’m good. Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Well it’s better now that I’ve finally talked to ya. Been tryin to get your attention all night but it was too busy. What’s your name?”

“Poppy, yours?”

“Goliath.”

There was something about is voice that reminded her of someone and she couldn’t put her finger on it. “Well it’s nice to meet you Goliath.”

“It very nice to meet you too.” Suddenly the music got louder, forcing Goliath to lean closer for Poppy to hear him clearly. With Poppy preoccupied, she didn’t notice Tora staring at how close her and his brother were.

Watching her toss her head back in genuine laughter and casually place a hand on his arm fueled his anger, causing him to rush over and spoil the moment. Tora gently placed a hand on her shoulder, “Makin new friends sweetheart?”

“Yeah, Goliath was just giving me a compliment on my outfit tonight.” Tora turned and looked at his brother wearing a shit eating grin across his face. The little fuck always knew how to push his limits and he knew he was doing it now.

“Good to see ya too bro. Been a while since I last saw ya.”

“Don’t fuck with me Goliath. I’m not in the mood for your shit tonight.”

If possible, Goliath’s smile got even bigger. “Damn bro, it’s been almost five years and you can’t give your younger brother a better greeting?”

Finally, Poppy put it all together, realizing why Goliath had seemed so familiar without having met him before. With Goliath distracted, Poppy was able to get a better look and really saw how similar him and Tora looked. She felt Tora drop his hand from her shoulder to her waist, confusing her as she looks down to his hand placement. He had ignored her all night, not saying a single word, and now he wants to show some sort of affection?

“Don’t even think about trying some shit, she’s claimed.”

“Claimed?”

Goliath scoffed because he knew his brother was full of shit. The man had been the last person to lay claim on anyone as his, and this shortcake was what he wanted? He looked Poppy from head to toe, noting the curvaceous body and killer smile, “From what I can see, she’s not. Ain’t no cut on her back, so she’s a free woman. And from the look on her face, she ain’t really down for what you got goin on.”

Poppy pulled Tora’s hand from her waist and took a step back.

“Bobby, can we talk about this after you get off, please?”

She rolled her eyes, “Fine. Meet me out back after closing. I have to get back to work, you boys behave.” Poppy grabbed her tray and made her way through the thinning crowd, disappearing before Tora turned back to face his brother.

“What the fuck do ya think you’re doin?”

“What? I was just trying to talk to a pretty girl in a bar back in our hometown.” The feigning of ignorance was the last straw.

Tora took a step closer, putting him chest to chest with Goliath. Lowering his head, he spoke directly in his ear, “Back off. I see ya near her again, I’ll fuck you up; brother or not.”

Tora left to smoke and wait for Poppy, shoulder checking Goliath on his way out. Catching his balance on the bar, he looked out to find Poppy clearing tables. He knew if he tried hard enough, he could take her away from his brother… but he wouldn’t.

_You deserve this bro._


	10. Easily

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's poppin' y'all? Happy chapter day! I know we're all super excited for the release. Hopefully this and some other stories here on AO3 will keep you preoccupied until then lol. I know some of you were a little irritated with Poppy the last two chapters, but hopefully this one makes up for it. I hope y'all enjoy it. As usual, I LOVE reading y'alls comments. They give me pure life and motiviation.
> 
> Y'all know the drill, let a girl know if y'all read some weird shit.
> 
> As always, these characters belong to Lilydusk. I just like putting them through emotional turmoil.

Poppy took her time cleaning the bar after closing. Unfortunately for her, everybody did a pretty good job at leaving in a decent mood, so she could only stall for so long. Just to prolong the inevitable, she even helped Jacob clean the glasses for the next day. Poppy knew Tora was outside waiting, and she intended to make him wait as long as possible. He deserved to sweat it out, and it gave her a feeling of power. It didn’t last long once she realized everyone had finished the cleaning duties for the night and Gil was ready to lock up. At this point, she had no choice but to go and meet him.

Tora had moved his bike to the back parking lot when she walked out, tailing behind Erdene. Poppy had paused and created a gap between her and her friend. Erdene looked back and saw her nibbling on her lip.

“Pops,” she turned and stood in front of her, blocking her from Tora’s view. “Do you want me to stay and wait while you guys talk?”

Poppy had told her all about what had happened between Tora and his brother with her. She was nervous about what they would talk about ultimately, but she was also prepared for things to really end between her and Tora.

“It’s ok, Dene. I know you’re tired.”

“Ok, call me if you need anything, and I mean it. Promise?”

Poppy nodded her head and Erdene pulled her into a hug. As Erdene held her, she glared at Tora, telepathically giving him a message to not fuck this up for them. When she let her go, Erdene pointed to her eyes and flung them towards Tora, giving him one final warning before walking to her car. Watching Erdene leave left Poppy and Tora alone in the parking lot. As she walked up to him, she could feel the nerves bubbling up in her chest, making her heart beat just a bit faster than she wanted.

She stood there for a few minutes, slightly outside of his reach, waiting for him to start the conversation. If he wanted to talk, she would not be the one to initiate it.

“Tora, as much fun as this is, I really don’t want to stand here all night; my feet are killing me. Home sounds really good right about now.”

Tora reached up and scratched the back of his neck, “What do you want me to say kid?”

“How about ‘sorry’ for starters. You asked me to come out here to talk. So, let’s talk or I’m going home.” Poppy clutched her purse tighter as she waited. After another round of silence, Poppy readied herself for a long walk home. “Come find me when you’re ready to talk, ok?”

“Poppy wait!” Tora reached out and grabbed her hand. He was trying so hard to keep his emotions in check, but watching her face cloud over in indifference brough back so many awful memories in one instant.

“Tora… look, I know you wanted to talk. I really wanted to see you start this off… but I see you’re struggling. So, I’ll help you, just this once. I’m sorry. I should have had more respect for your privacy and your boundaries, and I overstepped. That wasn’t my intention, and I hope you accept my apology.”

Tora felt like a waste of space after her apology. She didn’t have a reason to apologize, at least to him, and she still made it a point to make it known that she thought she was wrong. He was a grown ass man who couldn’t even string two simple words together without the help of a woman.

_Fuck my life._

Tora gently pulled her between his legs as he sat against his bike. “Poppylan, I’m sorry. I shoulda never talked to you like that the other day. I fucked up and I want to fix it.”

“All I was trying to do was help. You threw it back in my face. Do you realize how much that hurt? I know I was wrong too. After all you’ve done for me, I couldn’t _not_ do something for you. No matter how small. But I did see where I made you uncomfortable and that was wrong of me to keep pushing.”

Tora let go of her hand and placed his hands around her waist, pulling her closer into his embrace. Poppy was forced to plant her hands against his shoulders for balance.

“Bobby, I…” Tora looked towards the back of the bar, focusing on a spot somewhere in the brick face of the building. “Sweetheart, there’s a lot of shit I carry around, and maybe one day I’ll tell you about it. But for now, just believe me when I say I’m not used to someone taking care of _me_. It’s always been the other way around, and has been for a really long time. So just bear with me, please.”

Poppy saw the sincerity and heard the emotion behind his words. She could see that talking like this was new and hard for him. It put him in a place he wasn’t familiar with and completely out of his comfort zone. Feeling his grip tighten around her waist led her to believe that he was not used to being this vulnerable with anyone. The position he was in allowed for someone on the outside to really see who he was and she was moved to be probably one of the few who were privy to this side of him.

Deciding to push him just a bit further, Poppy placed one hand on the side of his neck, sliding the other between his shoulder blades and essentially putting them chest to chest. With this position, she was finally a bit taller than him, forcing him to tilt his head, but only because he was slouched on his bike. If Tora wanted this to work, sharing had to be a two-way street.

“I’ll work with everything you just gave me, but I have some conditions.”

Tora rolled his eyes, “Of course ya do, master negotiator.”

Poppy lightly slapped his shoulder as she giggled. It was a positive sign to hear him make a joke out of a somewhat serious situation.

“As much as I care, and as much as it may make you uncomfortable, don’t push me away when I try to help you. If I ask what’s wrong, and you don’t want to talk just yet, tell me that; but please tell me eventually. I won’t push for answers. If I do push, tell me to stop. I promise it won’t hurt my feelings.”

“Sounds reasonable.”

“But I do have one request for tonight?”

Tora cocked an eyebrow, questioning if acquiescing to this ballsy hamster would be worth it. She could ask for a million things right now and he would bend over backwards to do it. But a glint in her eyes made him apprehensive in his decision.

“What is it?”

“I want you to tell me what you meant earlier.”

Confused, Tora thought back to what he could’ve said throughout the night, but came back with nothing.

“What are ya talkin about?”

Nibbling on her lip, Poppy debated on if this was a good idea so soon after sort of fixing their current problem.

“You said something about me being claimed. When you were talking to Goliath. What does that mean?”

Tora sighed. He knew this was going to come sooner or later, because she was smart and caught onto things, but he didn’t think she would clue in on such a big topic so quickly. It was a serious conversation, but he didn’t want to have it in a parking lot behind a bar. It needed to be discussed with privacy and he wanted her as comfortable as possible because there were two ways that conversation could go, one of them being her never wanting to talk to him again. But he had to give her something.

“It’s a long answer, but to shorten it… I want to try.”

Poppy deadpanned. What kind of answer was that? It only left her with more questions than what she started with. She stared a him, waiting for him to expand on his answer. When he said nothing, she sighed, realizing she would have to pull it out of him.

“Try what, Tora? Your answer doesn’t really help.”

Taking a deep breath, Tora braced himself for the worst. “Us, Bobby. I want to try something out between you and I. I gotta be honest though, I have no idea what I’m doin. I’ve never dated before, never been in a real relationship. If you’re down, I want to be together.”

Silence rang through Poppy’s ears. She had been smacked in the face with a situation she was sorely unprepared for. This had been something she wanted and hoped for… and she finally got it. Thinking back on a comment from earlier in the night, she thought that this might have been was that pink haired woman was talking about.

But she had no better response than, “Ok!”

“Ok? That’s it?” Tora was a little miffed at how nonchalant she responded. He basically flayed himself open for her to really see him and she just says ‘ok’?

“I mean, since I’m getting a short answer, you can get a simple answer. When you’re ready to give me a full explanation of what ‘claimed’ means, the we can go from there.”

Tora was apprehensive of her answer, but it was understandable. For now, it was good enough, but what did it mean for the long run? What if he gave her the explanation she so desperately wanted and she changed her mind? What if she wanted nothing to do with him afterwards? Did he want to risk everything on a half-cocked answer and possibly ruin something he didn’t even deserve? If she left him over that, then so be it, but he would try his fuckin hardest to keep her for as long as possible.

“Ok, I’ll deal.” He looked down at his hands around her waist. “So… that mean I get to call ya my girl?”

Poppy flushed hearing the phrase fall from his lips.

“Yes.”

“I get to hold ya hand and shit?”

Giggling, Poppy rolled her eyes, “Yes, and shit.”

_Ok, this is good. Let’s try a little bit more._ Tora dropped a hand from her waist and nervously placed his hand above the swell of her ass. Tora had to try hard to not place his large palms too low for fear of making her uncomfortable.

Poppy cocked her head and felt her eyes widen when he felt the heat transfer itself from her waist to her lower back.

“Does that mean I also get to kiss you?” Tora’s voice had dropped to a huskier tone, smooth as silk over bare skin. Poppy shivered as his breath caressed her lips. She didn’t know when they had gotten so close to one another.

“I mean yeah, sure,” Poppy as breathless with anticipation. “But wh-”

“No buts. Do I get to kiss ya or not?”

Poppy felt herself falling, her stomach doing all kinds of summersault and flips. She was holding her breath in anticipation. She felt like her chest was going to explode, but she knew there was only one answer she could give him.

“Yes.”

Tora wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her in, closing the short distance between their lips. It was like heaven, finally getting to taste her. Her lips were always the base of his most recent dreams, and to finally feel hers against his own was a dream come true. Soft, supple, gentle, the taste of her strawberry gloss. Nothing about their kiss was something he could ever forget, no matter how hard he tried.

Poppy gently parted her lips, giving Tora a nervous invitation to further taste what he would now call his _girlfriend_. Feeling his tongue softly caress against her own was a wild, but welcomed, experience as she threaded her fingers into his raven strands. He didn’t try to shove it down her throat like someone she used to know. He took his time, exploring her in the most intimate way possible. There was a mixture of strawberries, mint and cigarettes on his tongue and Poppy thought she might have found her new favorite flavor.

In the distance, a car honked its horn, breaking the moment between them and letting reality back into their space. They tenderly broke apart, gazing into each other’s eyes, questioning if everything had really just happened. Poppy felt a blush creeping across her cheeks and couldn’t help but giggle, feeling the situation settle in her mind.

“What exactly is funny about me kissin ya?”

Seeing the bewildered look on his made Poppy laugh harder, clenching her fists on his shoulders for support. “Nothing about the kiss was funny, it just the situation overall. But you know what I noticed?”

“Hmm?”

“The more serious you are, the more you annunciate your words. Instead of ‘ya’ you actually say ’you’. You also say my full name. It’s kind of cute.”

“Yeah, yeah, enough calling me cute.” Poppy subdued her giggles and placed a somewhat serious look upon her face.

“Alright then Casanova, it’s time for me to go home. I have to be back here for the afternoon shift.”

Tora looked around, waiting to see Erdene possibly waiting close by. Realizing that she didn’t have any other options, he said, “Uh, sweetheart, all I have is the bike. Car is at the shop. I don’t mind takin ya home, but the only way that’s gonna happen is if you hop on. And last time I checked you weren’t too comfortable with that yet.”

“Well fudgesicles…” Poppy debated calling Erdene back to come get her. By now, she should’ve made it home, and she would feel horrible for making her leave again. With that, Poppy was only left with one choice. Biting her nail, she thought she could just suck it up and hop on… but what if she was scared out of her mind and made it difficult for Tora to ride safely?

“Bobby, I can smell the smoke ‘cause ya thinkin so hard. I can call Gyu real quick and ask to borrow car if ya want.”

_Stop being a chicken Poppy!_

“No, it’s fine, I’ll ride. Who knows, I might just like it.”

Tora saw the color slowly drain from her face as she hyped herself up. He wouldn’t be able to do anything if she suddenly passed out behind him.

“Ya look pale as fuck sweetheart. Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”

“Stop asking, or I’m going to punk out.”

Defensively throwing up his hands in a mock surrender, Tora reached into his side saddle bag and pulled out an extra helmet. He learned to carry one in a somewhat average size for when the boys got too drunk and couldn’t ride home. As much as he hated having four balls to two wheels, he would never be able to live with himself if he let one of his club brothers ride home drunk. He may be a dick, but he wasn’t heartless. “Put this on and I’ll help you do up the straps.”

Poppy felt like she had a big black bowl around her head. The cushions inside were soft and thick, enveloping her head in a cocoon of safety. Tora flipped up the visor and pushed her hair aside, making sure to not snag any while he cinched and snapped the strap below her chin. She watched as he did his own, in a movement that was muscle memory, insinuating the experience he carried behind him. Tora gently pushed her to side as he stood to straddle the bike. He reached behind him to push down pegs, meant for the passenger, and held his hand out to her after he lifted his visor.

“I want ya to put ya left on that peg and swing ya right leg over. After that, just sit down and make sure ya comfortable.”

She followed his directions, all while holding his hand in one of her own and grasping his shoulder in the other. Once she dropped onto the seat, Tora reached behind her and placed a hand on her lower back. He pushed her as far forward as she could go, plastering herself against his broad back. She could feel every inch of the solid man he was, not to mention the pistol that was digging into her thigh, rightfully reminding her of the life he lives.

Tora turned and spoke to her. “Put your arms around my waist and hold tight. Where I lean, you lean, got it?” Poppy nodded her head and Tora slammed both hers and his own visor down. Just as she wrapped her arms around him, she felt the bike beneath her roar to life. The vibrations were intense, making her teeth chatter. She understood why he did all the talking before the bike was turned on; she would never be able to hear him over this deafening noise.

Hearing a clunk and feeling Tora’s leg move alerted her to an upcoming change she knew she wasn’t quite ready for. Tora revved the engine and pulled out of the lot. Poppy clenched her fists in his shirt, nerves making her body vibrate, despite the motorcycle already doing it for her. Tora wasn’t able to get very far before he was caught at a light. He took advantage of the short break to look at Poppy in his mirror. He could only guess how nervous she felt; she hadn’t unclenched her fists even while sitting at the light, not moving and stable. As the light turned green, Tora took one more glance and saw how wide her eyes had gotten through her visor.

From here on out, Tora knew there were no lights. Gauging her reaction, he sped up just a bit more. After a few minutes, he felt her death grip loosen on his shirt and instead, become flat against his stomach. He briefly glanced in his mirror again, seeing a light in her eyes. He knew she was going to like it so he dropped gears and opened up down a straight away. Poppy was looking back and forth, seeing the scenery past by at such a high speed. Even though all she heard was the wind outside of the helmet, it was almost like listening to white noise; with nothing else to distract you, the noise was soothing. She felt Tora place a hand on her leg that was snug against his own. Seeing him let go of the handle and comfort her, even through a simple touch, made her heart flutter.

Poppy enjoyed the ride from the start; her nerves didn’t last long enough for her to notice. It was like flying, only way lower to the ground. With nobody on the roads at this hour, it made it feel like they were the only ones in the world. Tora rode most of the way with his hand wrapped around her thigh, his fingers clenching the back of her knee every so often. It was his voiceless way of acknowledging her, letting her in on something she knew was so important to him. She may not have felt exactly what Tora did when he rode, but she could definitely better understand his enjoyment. Even riding as a passenger, she knew that there would never be anything she ever experienced that came remotely close to this feeling. Reaching down, she laced her fingers between his own and squeezed, silently thanking him for the experience. When they began to slow down, Poppy released his hand, knowing his was going to need it soon. She couldn’t help but feel a little sad that the ride was over, even though realistically it took them at least twenty minutes to get there.

Tora pulled through her apartment parking lot, backing in to the spot her car normally preoccupied. After the bike had been shut off, Poppy still felt her body vibrating, her core completely shaken. Tora once again reached for her hand to help her off the bike, the reversed way that she got on, and as she planted her feet on now solid ground, she felt unsteady. Her legs felt heavy, as if they had been asleep, the tingles from the engine still lingering. Once Tora was off the bike, he helped her undo the chin straps and as she took of the helmet, he did his own.

She waited for him to finish before she said, “I can see why you love that so much.”

Tora placed his helmet on the handlebar and put hers back in the saddle bag. “This was the only thing that made me even remotely happy for the longest time.”

“Was?”

Tora threw an arm over her shoulder, guiding her to her apartment. “Yeah, now I have this tiny hamster with big balls that makes me happier.”

Poppy reached up and pinched his side with a sassy look on her face, bringing a deep rumble of laughter from his chest.

Walking up those five flights of stairs reminded Poppy of how bad her feet hurt. Once her door was unlocked, she made a straight line to her couch, intent on taking her shoes off before she did anything else. Tora closed and locked the door. He wasn’t sure what her plan for him was, but he didn’t want to make any assumptions so he kept his cut on, but respectfully took his shoes off.

Once Poppy had her shoes and socks off, relief flooded her feet. “Sweet fudgesicles, that feels so much better.”

Tora looked at her as she reached down and rubbed her feet. As he sat on the couch next to her, he replaced her hands with his own. “I’m sorry ya feet hurt so much, but I gotta say, ya looked damn good tonight.”

Poppy was leaned back against her arm rest, eyes partially closed. “Oh, so you did notice me tonight? I couldn’t tell.”

Tora dug into a particularly sore spot in her foot, hearing a low moan escape from her slouched form. “Sweetheart, every man in that bar with a working dick noticed you.”

“There’s no need to be so crude about, Tora.” Poppy was taking full advantage of using Tora’s big hands to expel the stiffness she was sure to feel in her feet tomorrow morning. She had been focusing so much on his ministrations, following the strokes of his callused fingers across the bottom of her feet, that she lulled herself to sleep.

Tora was working on her other foot when he heard a small snore come from the other end of the couch. Looking across, he saw that she had fallen asleep, her head propped up on her fist. Being this close, and undisturbed, looking at her was a sight to see.

Her skin was a gorgeous milky color; made her skin seem like porcelain. Smooth as silk with zero blemishes. She looked like the literal embodiment of an angel. Her hair was such a dark chocolate color, Tora felt his fingers itching to run through it. Her curves were exactly what he looked for in a woman; a girl with meat on her bones, who knew what it was like to be healthy. Basically, she was perfect to him.

When he had finished rubbing her feet, he saw that she wasn’t waking up. He gently placed her on the couch. Tora crouched low, and slowly put his arms underneath her. As he lifted her easily, she stirred, making him to pause. Once she resettled herself, shoving her face in his neck, he carried her to her bedroom. Unfortunately, when he set her down on the bed, she woke up and latched onto his forearm.

“Where are you going? I thought you were staying the night…” Her eyes were still closed and Tora almost thought she was talking in her sleep.

“Only if ya want me to sweetheart. I can leave if ya want.” Tora squatted next to her bed and pushed a lock of hair out of her face. When he tucked it behind her ear, she opened an eye and stared at him through a sleepy haze.

“Stay.” Poppy was determined to go to sleep as quick as possible. Reluctantly rolling out of bed, she began to pull her shirt off.

“Woah, lemme step out so you can change first.”

Poppy turned to see Tora facing her bedroom window and in the low light, she noticed the tips of his ears were bright red. It was very respectful of him to turn, but it did nothing but make Poppy chuckle.

“It’s fine, not like you haven’t seen a body before.” She continued to get undressed, leaving herself in her bralette and a pair of black nylon boy shorts. As she walked to her dresser for a t-shirt to sleep in, Tora peeked and caught an eyeful.

_Fuuuuck, she’s even more beautiful. And she’s only half naked!_

Tora took a deep breath, trying to divert the blood flow back to his brain. He didn’t notice that she had put on a shirt and stood next to him.

“See? Nothing special. Your turn to get comfy.”

She reached up and pushed his vest from his shoulders. She had noticed that every time he took it off, he always put it on the back of a chair. Luckily, she had one in the corner of her room.

Tora watched as she placed his cut on the chair and felt a warmth bloom in the center of his chest. She had taken a notice as to how he did things and made sure to do them herself. At that point, Tora didn’t think there would ever be anyone who would create the same feelings in him as she did.

Poppy came back and reached for the hem of his shirt. Pushing it up, she felt a little pump of energy flow through her as she caught sight of what was underneath. If she didn’t have to work in the next few hours, she would have liked to admire him longer. Tora helped her pull the shirt off the rest of the way and as he turned to toss it in the chair with his cut, he felt her reach for the button of his jeans.

“Bobby, I can do this part myself. Why don’t ya go ahead and crawl back in bed?”

Poppy shrugged her shoulders and turned to face plant into her mattress. She heard Tora chuckle as she burrowed herself into her comforter and tossed back his side as an invitation.

Tora waited until her face was covered before he removed his pistol and shoved it in the folds of shirt. He quickly shucked is jeans and socks, leaving him in boxer briefs. He gently crawled in bed with her, trying not to disturb her with his weight. As he settled into a comfortable position on his back, Poppy rolled over, taking up what space he had left as she snuggled closer. When she threw her leg over his hip, Tora stiffened. She then threw an arm across his chest and pulled him closer. Tora smiled to himself and dropped a kiss to the top of her head.

“Good night sweetheart.”

“Mmm, night tiger.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact about this chapter: as y'all know, I ride myself. As well as my boyfriend, best friend and her husband. Usually we're all riding together lol. Sometimes there's days where I don't wanna ride myself so I hop on with my boyfriend. The thigh grabbing is a thing between us. A lot of couples do it, but its something that means a lot to me specifically because that's his way of telling us we're good, we're safe. Last July, I was in a gnarly motorcycle accident on my own motorcycle that unfortunately my boyfriend had to witness right in front of him. I ended up breaking my left leg and dislocating my right ankle because a car didn't stop in time and ran over my legs. PLOT TWIST: THE CAR DIDN'T STOP lol. As soon as it was safe for my boyfriend to run across the freeway to get to me, the first thing he did was grab my thigh. It was his way of letting me know he was there and that I was going to be ok. As a long time rider, I preach gear and safety. If it wasn't for the car hitting me, I woulda walked away with some road rash. That's it. I'm just about 90% healed now so no worries.
> 
> TLDR: this chapter had a personal touch to it lol.
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading this part if you did. If you just skipped it, don't trip, ain't shit important in this note lol.


	11. Was it 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I busted this out because I love y'all. This chapter is heavy in the beginning, but it lightens up.
> 
> I loved all of the comments from last chapter and it warmed my heart to hear you give me kind words for my accident. It truly meant a lot, I don't think I could properly express it through words. All of the stories you shared with me made me smile so hard the BF thought I was smiling at something (or someone) else lol. When I showed him the comments, even he was moved. Which is saying something because he struggles with emotions lol.
> 
> Anyways, I'm done bein a sap lol enjoy this lil chappie, it's slightly longer than usual. Y'all know the drill, lemme know if y'all read some weird shit.
> 
> As usual, all of these characters belong to Lilydusk, I just like fuckin with their trauma.

_Saturday morning…_

Tora was stuck in a loop of a dream; one he couldn’t seem to ever wake himself up from. The dream was nothing new. He had it come and go so many times throughout his life, it felt weird not to see it on replay, but seeing it now was unwelcomed. He knew outside of this fucked up dream, there was a girl sharing her bed with him. All he had to do was stop this repeated nightmare and he could calm the fuck down, but his body was refusing to leave this state and it was starting to make him anxious.

_He was teenager again sitting in an empty warehouse, contemplating his life, which, up until then, had been “decent.” Him and Goliath had already spent years with Vincent and Quincey. His mother dropped him and Goliath off at some shelter when they were young, faint memories of the woman who birthed them lingering and no idea who their father was. After being in the system for so long, Tora had no hopes for him and his brother finding a home; he was jaded as fuck and all he could hope for was to be able to see him and his brother survive. When Vincent caught him stealing, he was intended to punish him, but after Vincent realized why he did it, he made it a point to get him and his brother out of that hell hole. The people who ran the shelter didn’t care about the kids they were supposed to take charge of, letting abuse run rampant within the halls. For the first few years outside and in a real home, things were tense. Tora was always getting into fights, in and out of school, with Goliath and Quincey always there to back him up. Vincent constantly rode his ass about being better than that, saying he should set an example for the younger boys, but he wasn’t hearing any of it. Eventually Vincent just gave up._

_Tora was skeptical of how well him and Goliath were being treated. New clothes, real beds, food and even a bonus brother. Quincey took to both of them easily, creating a bond that, until this day, couldn’t be broken. Goliath may be a piece of shit adult, but he was blood. Quincey was the best addition to his broken family._

_It wasn’t until he was in his teenage years, maybe around fourteen, when he started bulking up and growing into the giant of a man he is now. That was when Vincent slowly started showing some of his true colors. He taught him how to ride, started bringing him to meetings… forcing him to do questionable deeds and holding his freedom over his head. Tora feared for him and Goliath going back into the system and felt pressured to just do it, no questions asked, consequences be damned. Eventually he was approached about being prospected. There was no reason to think about it if he wanted him and Goliath to stay out and with Quincey. So, he did it._

_As a prospect, he was everyone’s bitch. He was at Vincent’s beck and call and there was nothing he could do but be a yes man. He played that role for an entire year before they even talked about him being a full-blown patched member. When that day came, Tora was told to meet the club at a warehouse on the outskirts of town. Back then, he had no idea what to expect, but he knew this was his going to be his last day as a free kid._

_His initiation haunted him till this day._

_In the warehouse stood every patched member, circled around a man kneeling with his hands behind his back and a bag over his head. Vincent pushed him to the center and gave him a simple order._

_“Kill him.”_

_Tora felt a cold sweat break out over his skin._

_He wasn’t given any kind of weapon._

_Vincent wanted him to kill a man with his_ bare hands _._

_He remembered, for years to come, what it was like to feel a bone break beneath a fist; see skin turn a mottled color, a distorted and dark version of a rainbow, as it blossomed with bruises; the smell of blood as it coated his body and face, the stench permeating the air enough for him to taste it in the back of his throat… and to hear a man cry out for his wife and son. He never forgot the moment someone pulled the bag from his face and held him in place as he watched the life leave his eyes. As he dropped to his knees, he felt his own tears mixed with the nameless dead man’s blood. Never in his life did he think he would be torn down and based as animal. A dog to be trained and used a weapon._

_Vincent walked up from behind and placed a cut around his shoulders. The weight of that piece of cloth would never leave his shoulders. The patch would be a constant shadow behind his back. The position he would hold over his heart made his life seem like a never-ending circle of hell._

_“You earned this son. Wear it with pride. And always remember that I own you. Now fix your face. There’s no room for tears in this life. Don’t be scared to embrace this side of you.” With that, Tora was left alone with a man he had just killed. It wasn’t until he felt the dried blood begin to itch on his skin that he realized he had been sitting there for hours. Taking a quick but detailed glance around through broken windows and patched wood, he saw that no one was there with him. Tora felt the pain in his knees as he stood from the ground. It meant nothing to him as he put the cut on properly and bent down to gather the body in his arms._

_Tora carried him about five hundred yards into the dense trees behind the warehouse. He quickly ran back and grabbed the shovel he had seen hidden in a black corner. Once he came back to the man, he began digging, and digging, and digging. After digging till dark, he dragged his tired body out of the whole and lifted the man once again. Gently, he lowered the mangled body into the whole and followed behind him, feeling an enormous weight settle on his chest. Once he had his body in a respectful position, he climbed back out. As he began to fill the whole, he started talking, not knowing who he was talking to, but he said it with heart and conviction._

_“I don’t know who’s runnin this shit show, but please, let this man go somewhere nice. Whatever the fuck that means. I don’t know what he did to deserve this, but I sure as fuck know he wasn’t supposed to go like this.” Tears came down his face once again. “He wasn’t supposed to die by my hands. Please, for fucks sake, let him move on peacefully.” Sobs began to rack his body as he finished filling the makeshift grave. “Let his family mourn him properly. I know they won’t get closure, but don’t let the pain linger too long.”_

_Tora dropped the shovel, covered in sweat, blood and dirt, and cried to whoever was up above. The weight never left his chest and would stay with him for the rest of his life. He cried for who knows how long. As he let the final tears leave his eyes, he felt a cold wall envelop his heart. It was going to be his new armor, his new line of defense against the shit he knew Vincent was going to put him through for as long as he lived._

_He grabbed the shovel and dragged it back with him to the warehouse. After he dropped it back into the black corner from which he found it in, he left whatever emotion he had remaining in that warehouse with it, beginning to build the steel walls that would protect him from completely losing his humanity. He didn’t know that there was going to be woman who saves him from himself later in his life, but until then he would just float through his days to protect himself. Later that night, he would become branded, sporting a collar and singling him out as the one dog no one wanted to deal with._

Tora woke with a wet face buried in Poppy’s hair. Smelling the warm vanilla of her shampoo stilled his racing heart and eased the pain he felt while breathing, bringing him back into the present.

_Fuck being scared, I’m terrified._

He tried to calm his mind, but nothing was helping and he was worried his anxiousness would be felt and wake her up. Slowly, he rolled over and checked the time on his phone. It was only six thirty, seeing the low light of an early morning sun filter through the blinds and gossamer curtains covering her bedroom window.

After a few counted breaths, Tora turned his head and looked over Poppy’s sleeping form. It still amazed him, that after all his thoughts of her, he was finally able to really call her his. They had only made things “official” yesterday, but if he was honest with himself, he had been in love with this girl for a very long time.

_8 years ago…_

Tora, Goliath and Quincey were fuckin _bored_. Goliath had gotten his hands on some old beater van with everything wrong with it. But it was too hot to ride anywhere. Which didn’t make a difference because Goliath still hadn’t gotten the AC fixed in the damned thing. They had been driving around for hours trying to find something to do when Goliath spoke up.

“We have our boards in the back, right?”

Quincey was messing with his hair in the visor mirror, “Yeah, why?”

“Why don’t we go to the skate park for a few hours?”

Tora was sprawled out on the van floor, trying not to sweat his life away in the heat box he was trapped in. “Beats drivin’ around with no fuckin AC. I thought ya said ya got this shit fixed.”

Goliath looked at his surly brother in the rearview mirror, his shaggy orange hair stuck to his sweaty forehead. “I did, but it went out again. I think old man Sanders pulled one over one me.”

Goliath felt Tora’s meaty hand smack the back of his, “Fuckin idiot. I’ll take a look at it while y’all skate. I ain’t ridin around with no god damn AC.”

“Suit yourself, ya grumpy bastard.”

Goliath pulled into the park and parked in the back, away from the few cars that were already there. Minus a few boys flirting with some girls on the other end of the park, nobody was there, giving Quincey and Goliath free reign of the ramps. They left Tora behind as he popped the hood and began tinkering with the AC compressor with the few tools he always carried in the back of the van. Years later, he would think back to himself and wonder how never noticed the girl sitting in the tree behind him.

She had been so quiet the entire time, never hearing the van pulling up with the headphones in her ears and nose deep in a book. Tora was so distracted that it wasn’t until she was climbing down the tree that he finally noticed her. Seeing her out of the corner of his eye made him pause. She looked young, judging by her size, probably only thirteen or fourteen. But _fuck_ if she wasn’t built like a grown woman; puberty hit her in the best way possible. Ample, thick thighs with an ass that would fit in his hands perfectly. Tiny waist accentuated by a tight blue tank top that showed off breasts meant for a woman twice her age.

_Stop lookin at the jail bait ya fuckin perv._

As Tora turned back to the van, he heard a dull thud, seeing that she had fallen the rest of the way down the tree. He ran over to help her but by the time he made it to her, she was already up and brushing the grass off of shorts. As she turned around, he stopped in his tracks when he finally got a good look at her face.

Big brown eyes were surrounded by thick eyelashes, pudgy cheeks with a natural blush and full lips made for kissing. She was fucking beautiful.

_FUCKIN JAIL BAIT YA MORON! STOP THINKIN WITH YA DICK BEFOR YA GO BACK TO JAIL!_

“Oi, ya ok? That was quite a fall.”

She looked down at her scrapped knee and paled at the sight of the few drops of blood beading on her knee cap. “Yeah, I’m ok, just scrapped my knee a bit.”

Tora looked down at the broken skin, “Stay there. I got a first aid kit in the van.” He jogged back and grabbed the medical bag from the back, knowing that it was there for bigger emergencies than a small scrape. Coming back to the girl, he noticed how short she was compared to him. He was done growing, but she may only get a couple more inches as she got older. Stopping in front of her, he took a knee and reached for her leg.

“Is it ok if I touch you? To patch you up?”

The girl looked nervous as she stared him down. “Uh, sure, but it’s really ok. I’m fine.”

Tora looked up directly in her eyes as he gently grabbed her calf, placing her foot on his thigh. She lost her balance briefly, catching herself on his shoulders. Blushing, she mumbled a quiet apology. To keep his mind as pure as possible, he ignored her as he cleaned her scrape, but he couldn’t help but want to hear her voice again.

“Ya out here by yourself?”

He felt her fingers flex over the tops of his shoulder, “No, I’m here with my cousins. They’re down there hanging out with some guys from their school. I don’t know any of them, and they’re all older than me, so I stuck around over here.”

“Smart move. What’s ya name kid?”

“Poppylan, but everyone calls me Poppy.”

“Cute name.” He finished cleaning her scrape and placed a large bandage over it. He took hold of her calf and placed her back on solid ground.

“Thank you for helping. That was very nice of you.”

“Don’t mention it kid. Just be a little more careful comin down those trees.” Tora stood to his full height and towered over her. He had never stood next to someone so tiny. He felt a deep urge to protect her, in spite of being complete strangers. He reached over and ruffled her hair before he left to head back to the van.

“Hey! Are you thirsty? It’s really hot out today.”

Before he had a chance to reply, she was already running towards him while rummaging in her bag. She pulled out a clear bottle of pink juice and shoved it in his hand.

“Thanks again for helping.” Taking off through the parking lot, she waved back to him. Tora faintly heard her name being called in the distance. He watched as she met up with two girls, most likely the cousins she came with, heading to a haphazard collection of bikes. As all three rode away, he figured she was a local. Being more than a few years older than her, she would’ve never met him before then when he stayed here as a kid. His old orphanage shelter was in this town. He hadn’t been back in years but him and Goliath always loved this skate park.

Remembering he had the bottle in his hands, he looked down at the label. Strawberry juice. He wasn’t a fan of sweet shit, but he didn’t have the heart to throw it out. Only because he was so thirsty, he cracked it open, taking a tentative sip in case it was just pure sugar. He was surprised to find it rather enjoyable. Even better since it came from a beautiful girl, he thought, smiling to himself as he turned back to the van.

It was a while before Quincy and Goliath came back from the ramps, seeing the half empty bottle sitting in the engine compartment.

“Where’d the juice come from?” Goliath snatched the bottle and started twisting it around, inspecting the label.

“It’s mine.”

“You don’t like sweets though boo boo.” Quincey was peeking around their brother’s shoulder, giving the bottle his own perusal.

“I was thirsty.”

“So, ya just gonna pretend like some cute little brunette didn’t give it to ya after ya helped her?”

“Yeah hun, you can’t hide it since we watched the whole thing.”

Tora saw the shit eating grins on their faces. He took the bottle back from his brother’s grip and slammed the hood shut. “Fuck off and get in the van. The shit is fixed. But I’m drivin’ ‘cause Goliath sucks at it.”

Goliath scoffed, “You’re just pissy because we caught ya with that cute girl. From what I could see she had a nice body. Great body with a sweet rack. I mean why-”

Tora yanked on his collar, bringing him nose to nose with his brother.

“Say somethin else about her and I promise it’ll be the last fuckin thing ya say.”

He threw his hands up in surrender, smiling because he knew he caught his brother outside of his hard-ass persona. “Fine, I won’t say shit else.”

He let go of him with a shove to the face and stalked to the driver’s side of the van. As they drove back to Narin City, the girl never left his thoughts. She was too fuckin young, and he was definitely old enough to know; but damn if she didn’t stay with him for years to come.

_Present day…_

Revisiting that memory always made Tora feel like a normal human being, if only for a few minutes. He pulled his head back from being buried in hair, peering down at her bathed in the morning light. He had hopes that she remembered that day, but the chances of that were slim. Maybe one day he’ll be less of a chicken shit and talk to her about it.

Poppy started shifting around, feeling Tora was already awake, based on the hand that was currently caressing her arm.

“Good mornin sweetheart.”

“Morning tiger.”

Tora chuckled as he watched her role over, “Where’d that name come from?”

“Well, that’s what your name means. It’s fits you, so that’s my name for you.” Poppy stretched, arching her chest into his face. Tora couldn’t help but glance very quickly at how luscious his girlfriend looked first thing in the morning. “Do you want me to cook you breakfast?”

“Nah, it’s ok,” Tora sat up, ruffling his hair and tossing it into a messy bun as he stretched his neck. “I have to get ready to leave anyways. Gotta be at the tattoo shop soon so I don’t really have time to eat.”

Poppy was a little saddened to end their stay together. “Bummer. Well, all the stuff you used last time is still in my bathroom. I’m going to make myself some coffee.”

As she rolled out of bed, Tora cantered his head back and caught a view of her curves barely hidden by her t-shirt as she stretched. Best part was seeing the curve of her ass cheeks peeking from the bottom of her boy shorts. He gave himself away when Poppy turned after she heard a low groan from deep in his chest.

“What was that for?”

Tora got up and walked over to stand in front of her. Poppy watched him as stalked her, admiring his naked chest and abs, nothing but his briefs hiding what she desperately wanted a look at. The fan service was superb with the bed head. She craned her neck to look up at him.

“It’s a shame to leave ya lookin like this,” callused fingers caressed her cheeks before threading in her hair. “Wouldn’t mind stayin in bed with ya a little longer, but we both got shit to do.”

Poppy stood on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around his shoulder, struggling to reach his neck. Thankfully, he was nice enough to lean down enough for her to reach, but also giving him an opportunity to wrap his free arm around her waist. “My next day off is Thursday if you want to hang out.”

“Sounds like a plan.” He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before he let her go, heading to the bathroom to get ready before he had to leave.

Tora was fighting the lingering effects of having her in his arms while be brushed his teeth. He tried to distract himself as much as possible while he put on deodorant with no such luck. Hell, he was even trying to count his breaths while he dressed in last night’s clothes. It wasn’t until he picked up his pistol that he got a cold smack back into reality.

She deserved so much more than a thug with a criminal background, who works shitty “jobs,” and does shady shit for a motorcycle club. Let’s not forget that fucked up past he carries with him every day like a ball and chain.

But he’ll be damned if he didn’t take advantage of every minute that he got with her, for however long she let him stick around.

Tucking the pistol in the back of his jeans, he walked to the living room, expecting to see Poppy in the kitchen. Looking around, he found her on the balcony with her sliding door still open. She was glowing in the sunlight, coffee cup grasped in her hands and the slight breeze pulling her hair back from her face. He walked up behind her and dropped a kiss on the crown of her head as he grabbed the railing on each side of her.

“I gotta get goin soon kid. I’ll swing by the bar later, maybe catch ya on ya lunch break?”

“That would be nice, but if you can’t make it, it’s fine.”

“I’ll text ya later then. Come lock up behind me.” As he was going to leave, she turned in his arms and put her coffee cup on a small side table before she laced her arms around his broad torso.

“You got any plans for tonight?”

Tora cocked his head as he quickly ran through everything he had to do that day. “So far no, unless Vincent calls me for some shit. What’s up?”

“Well,” Poppy thought about just letting it all go for the time being, but if her and Tora really wanted to make this last, she was going to start it all the right way. “You still owe me a long story.”

 _Fuck._ He felt his muscles tense. This wasn’t going to be an easy conversation, but she was right. It was easier to get it over with before things got too serious between them. Better just to rip off the band-aid, right? _Fuck my life._

“If I still have free time tonight, I’ll come by.”

She put on her most serious face before she said, “I’ll cook dinner for you to sweeten the deal.”

“I’ll be here when ya get off work sweetheart.”

“Mmhhmm, that’s what I thought. Also, can you check on my car? I just want to know when it might be done, but tell Quincey not to rush.”

“I’ll call him later.”

Poppy stretched up and pulled Tora down to meet her halfway, covering his lips with her own. Tora didn’t think he would ever get used to the feeling of her kisses. He hated coffee with a passion, he was more of a tea guy himself, but if the flavor was mixed with her, he could get used to it.

Poppy released him and walked them to her door. “Ride safe. Text me later.”

“Of course.” After another brief kiss, he took off down the stairwell.

Poppy closed and locked her door before rushing back to her balcony. She waited for a few seconds before she heard the door creak open, letting him out to the parking lot. Tora automatically looked up to see her watching him. He flashed her a wink and a smile as he shoved his helmet on, snapping up the strap and straddling his bike. Soon after, he started up the bike and pulled out of the parking lot.

In her bedroom, Poppy picked up her phone, seeing the time read nine thirty. She still had an hour and a half before she had to be at work. She decided another cup of coffee sounded like a good idea. After making a fresh batch, she perched on her couch with her laptop, casually window shopping for a while. She checked her emails to see if there were any responses to her applications, only to find nothing. Refusing to let it get her down, Poppy refined her search an sent out more applications, hoping and wishing for something to get her back to a sense of normalcy. She didn’t hate working at the bar, not at all; it wasn’t her end goal and she didn’t want to get stuck. Jacob still did freelance photography and Erdene was commissioned often for her digital art. If they could still pursue their dreams, then so could she.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The normal for Saturdays was really slow, at least for afternoons. Today was no different, leaving the girls to fill their time with mundane tasks. With no one in the bar during their first break, the girls decided to take it together. Erdene couldn’t contain her questions any longer and gently prodded her best friend or answers.

She was playing with the ice in her drink, trying to start the conversation without seeming too nosy. “Sooo… how did last night go? Did you get laid?”

The abrupt question made Poppy choke on her water. Sputtering, she answered, “No, Dene, I did not get laid. I mean, technically, I did, but I just _laid_ down in bed and went to sleep. But… Tora and I are together now. So, there’s that.”

It was Erdene’s turn to cough as her friend breezed past a monumental detail. “I’m sorry, did you just say that you two were together? Like together _together_? As in like, a couple?!”

“Yes. He asked me last night after we talked for a bit. Then he took me home.”

Erdene did quick math in her head, looking confused as she added up the fact that neither her nor Tora had a car last night. “Oh my god, did you ride on the back of bike too?!”

“Sure did. It was like having a huge vibrator between my legs, only not quite as satisfying.” Erdene threw her head back and laughed at the comparison. Only her friend could get away with saying something so pervy with a straight face.

“Well shit Pops, I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks Dene. Let’s just hope this doesn’t come back to bite me in the ass.”

“Why would it? I don’t know if you know this, but you’re a great catch lady.”

Poppy looked down into her glass, waiting for an answer to appear in the water like it did in the mythological stories she used to read. “I’ve only dated one other person and he was a douche. I wouldn’t say I’m jaded, but I definitely don’t want to get hurt again.”

“Who does babe?” Erdene stood and sat in the chair next to her, wrapping her arms around her squishy friend. “That is a very valid fear, but if I’m being honest, I don’t think you’ll run into that problem with Tora.”

“I don’t think I will either, but still.”

“The best thing I can tell you is to just enjoy it. Don’t let what Julri did to you overshadow what you might enjoy with Tora. Let this new relationship be and grow as organically as possible.”

Poppy sighed as she grabbed Erdene’s hand, squeezing in appreciation.

“Alright, let’s get back and waste some more time until our lunch break.”

Time moved slowly as handfuls of people came and left the bar for their lunch special. Tora ended up texting her to tell her that his appointment was going to run longer than expected and he unfortunately wouldn’t be able to come by, but he did say that he was still going to be at her place later that night. Poppy instead spent her lunch scrolling through Nstagram and Pentrest, attempting to find inspiration for new art while she ate.

She had just passed a bundle of cuteness in the form of puppies in a basket and wrapped in blankets when she stopped on a post of woman, bearing her arm for the camera. She had a fresh tattoo of lilies, done in black and gray tones while backdropped in watercolor marks. She remembered Tora telling her that if she ever wanted to get a tattoo, he would do it for her. Feeling giddy, she sent him a quick text before she went back to work.

_**Poppy** : hey, can I ask for a favor?_

She figured he would respond later since he was with his client, but the reply came within seconds.

_**Tora** : sure, but favors come with a price Bobby_

_**Poppy** : you’re already getting dinner, what more could you possibly want?_

_**Tora** : idk yet, but I’ll figure it out. What do ya need?_

_**Poppy** : when you come over tonight, can you bring your portfolio?_

Poppy got nervous when he didn’t immediately text back. She didn’t realize she was holding her breath until his message popped up on her screen and she exhaled heavily.

_**Tora** : random request but ok_

_**Poppy** : thanks!_

Poppy locked her phone and placed it back in her locker before going back to the floor. She was excited to see his face when she approached him about finally getting her first tattoo done by him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep fuckin around and changing how I write text messages in this story every time. Don't mind me, I'm just trying to figure it out lol.


	12. Borderline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I got good news and bad news.
> 
> Good news: new chapter!  
> Bad news: It's the last one till the middle of December.
> 
> Y'all know I'm in school. I got 3 finals, 3 10+ page papers, 2 presentations, 1 tradeshow.... and a partridge in a fuckin pear tree that's on fire. Needless to say, I. AM. SKRESSED. Not just stressed, but SKRESSED, heavy emphasis on the K. But with it being my last semester, I can see that god forsaken light and I'm fuckin sprinting for it. So, I'm gonna focus on that, then you guys get me till the end.
> 
> Just stick it out with me, please. Y'all give me so much joy, readin all the comments and receiving kudos. I luh y'all dammit lol.
> 
> Per the usual, holla at ya girl if you read some weird shit.
> 
> And as always, these characters belong to the incredibly talented Lilydusk, I just like makin em panic.

Erdene and Poppy’s work day dragged, almost never ending. Nothing of interest happened and by the time their shift was coming to an end, the girls were ready to leave. Erdene was, as always, nice enough to offer her ride home and Poppy accepted. Thinking about the night ahead of her, she wrangled over whether or not to ask her to take her by the grocery store, but she went through a mental list of what she had at her place now and figured what she had would be good enough to feed both her and Tora tonight.

After making her way into her apartment, she took her time winding down and getting things ready for dinner. Tora would be showing up later in the evening so there was no rush. As she was cooking, indie pop blasting in the background, she heard her phone ringing. She ran over to turn her music down, flipping her phone over to see an unknown number displayed on her screen. Poppy hesitated on answering, but folded under the pretense of seeming rude.

“Hello?”

“Poppy, you beautiful thing, it’s Quincey.”

“Oh, hey Quincey! What’s up?” Poppy was hoping for good news regarding her car, but she wouldn’t pressure him. She still kept her fingers crossed, just in case.

“I was just calling to let you know that your girl Maxine is all fixed and pretty, she’s ready to go whenever you’re ready to pick her up.”

Poppy squealed with excitement. She was ready to get back to driving around on her own. She appreciated everyone who helped her while she was without her car, but there was nothing greater than being completely independent.

“Thank you so much Quincey! I can pick it up Thursday for sure. I’ll pay you back, promise.”

“Well, speaking of payment,” Poppy could hear the hesitancy in his inflection. “I heard from a certain someone that you can cook. You want to make me dinner one day?”

“Absolutely. You just give me a day and time and I’ll make whatever you want. Within reason of course.”

“You are an absolute doll. Just give me a ring whenever you come pick up your car. Toodles boo boo.”

“Bye Quincey!” Poppy hung up the phone and turned back to her laptop, turning up her music. Dancing her way back to the kitchen, she couldn’t keep the smile off her face. Two days of good news left her feeling better than she had in a long time. She couldn’t keep the elated smile off her face while she finished dinner for her and her guest.

Her _boyfriend_ to be exact.

As she was turning off her stove, there was a knock on her door. It was no surprise to find Tora on her doorstep, but the frown was unexpected.

“Well, hello to you too mister grumpy pants.”

“Ya really need to learn how to look through that peep hole, it’s there for a reason. And lock ya damn doors while you’re home.”

Poppy had stepped aside as he walked through the door, making sure to dramatically throw the locks for his surety. She waited for him to finish taking off his shoes before she said, “I knew it was you since you were coming over.”

“Bobby, that’s not the point. What if you got into another situation where dick face showed up here again? What if I got caught in traffic and didn’t make it here in time and something happened?”

She understood where he was coming from, it wasn’t like what he was saying was unlikely to happen. Based on Julri’s behavior, she couldn’t be sure of his thought process anymore, especially since Tora had a gun to his head the last time she dealt with him.

“Ok, I’ll be more careful. I promise to use the peep hole and keep everything locked tight.”

Tora continued to scowl with his arms crossed tight against his chest. “C’mere sweetheart.”

With a pout on her lips, Poppy walked over as Tora dropped his arms. He grasped her chin between his thick fingers, placing a gentle kiss on her lips, almost reverently. “I just don’t want to see ya get hurt again, in any way. Especially if it could have been prevented.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” He kissed her once more before releasing her and opening the fridge, grabbing a bottle of juice.

“What’re ya cookin tonight?”

Poppy rattled off what she was in the middle of preparing, easing her and Tora into an uncomplicated conversation, going back and forth about their days with everything and nothing in between. She told Tora about her car being ready and how excited she was to be back to her normal life. Tora told her about the client he had that day and why it hadn’t allowed him to have lunch with her earlier. They had easily filled the time before dinner was ready, Poppy soon plating their food, Tora’s bowl filled more than hers as usual.

A few minutes of silence reigned between them as Tora shoveled food in his mouth. Poppy didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere, but she knew it had to be done.

“So, do you want to talk during or after dinner?”

Tora stopped, a spoon halfway to his mouth as he nervously glanced at her. “Honestly, I was hopin’ ya would forget about it.”

“Well, seeing as how I’ve heard something similar from two different men, it must be important.”

Poppy watched him place his spoon in his bowl as she played with her own food. She had taken another bite when he responded.

“I mean, ‘s kinda serious…”

She chewed her food thoughtfully before she spoke. “If it’s something that makes you uncomfortable, we can talk about it some other day.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about Bobby.” His tone belied his anxiety, making her second guess if they should have this talk now.

“Then let’s just get it out of the way.” She punctuated her statement with a shoulder shrug, hoping that Tora didn’t think she was pressuring him.

Tora stared at her for a few heavy heartbeats. “Fine, but I wanna enjoy the food without the tension.”

She chuckled and smiled, “Ok then.”

They finished dinner in a comfortable silence. Again, Tora insisted on helping clean her kitchen, him washing dishes as she dried and put them back in their rightful places. When they were done, they made their way to the living room. As Tora sat on one end of her couch with his elbows propped on his knees and his fingers laced, Poppy sat on the other with a pillow placed in her lap, allowing her to preoccupy her hands and conceal her nerves. She waited patiently for him to initiate what she felt was going to be a very serious conversation for them.

“Before I start, I just want to ask that ya hear me out completely before jumpin down my throat.”

Slightly taken aback, Poppy cocked her head. “Do I seem like the type to do something like that? I like think I’m pretty reasonable.”

“Ya are sweetheart, but what we’re gonna talk about is beyond the scope of ya normal thinkin.”

Tora’s lack of confidence did not give Poppy any kind of reassurance, now worried about the direction of the conversation. “Just be honest and I don’t see that being a problem. I can’t promise not to ask questions though.”

“I know,” Tora took a deep breath, beginning his long-winded explanation. “So, you know we all wear these vests. We call ‘em cuts. They got our names, our position in the club, if we hold one, and our club patch on the back. No matter where we go, no matter if we’re riding or not, our cut is with us. It’s like a second skin. It lets everyone know who we are and who we belong to. And… I’m sure you’ve noticed that there’s no women. ’s not that we don’t want them there, but Vincent doesn’t like to involve ‘em in what we do. He values women for who they are. As rough as he can be, he can be a gentleman sometimes. Anyways, nobody in the club has a girlfriend. Or boyfriend in some guys' cases, except for some of the older guys, and for good reason. Because we do some… unsavory shit sometimes.” He paused to look at Poppy, making sure he hadn’t lost her yet. Her brows were furrowed, but she was still listening to him.

“Continue please.”

“We all have a choice on if we want to bring someone into this life with us. For the longest time, I had no intentions. Then I met you again. But I thought that it would work if I didn’t bring you in. I thought if I kept you out, away from all of this shit, it would protect you more than if you were in. With me.”

“What does ‘bringing me in” mean exactly?”

Poppy was rattled, not seeing a clear path for this conversation. She understood that he had to explain all the background information, but she wished he would just get to the point.

“I would … claim you… as my, uh… my… property.” Tora scratched the back of his neck as he ducked his head low, away from the fire he saw flare behind her eyes.

Poppy had honed in on one word, “Property?”

Tora looked back up at her, concern, worry and fear in his eyes. “I know how that word sounds sweetheart, but please let me explain.”

Poppy nodded her head and hugged the pillow tighter in her lap. Tora couldn’t stand sitting anymore, his anxiety and need for a cigarette forcing him to pace before the couch.

“To some clubs, they take the word literally, and women become no shit property to the men who stake their claim. But we don’t do that as an MC. We still use the word, but what it comes down to is you being someone’s significant other. If I gave you a cut, it would say “property of Tora" on the front with your name, and you would have the Balthuman patch on the back. It would look almost exactly like mine. It tells motherfuckers to leave you alone and who you’re with. Think of it almost like a wedding ring.”

“What’s the point of it? It sounds antiquated.”

“What the fuck does that word mean?”

Poppy couldn’t help the smirk on her lips as she saw the big man in her living room stop in tracks with confusion across his face. “It means old.”

“Oh… anyways, it is old, but it’s part of the culture and somethin that’s hard to change. The point of it is to avoid issues like with that one fuck face who was saying shit about you. It allows you to walk around freely, among the MC and outside with us, without dealing with bullshit like that because of what you’d be wearing. I would still worry about fuckers who wouldn’t respect it, but it would be less of a problem.”

Tora seemed done with his explanation, giving Poppy a chance to soak it all in. Thinking about it all, despite its archaic representation, she could kind of see why they still did things this way. It wasn’t something that she was necessarily content with, but there was a clear purpose for it. The only issue she had was her position on it.

“Do I get a say in this at all?”

Tora could hear the uncertainty in her voice, an inflection he wanted to avoid. “Why would I force you to do something, _anything_ , for that matter? I have a strong stance on it, but I’m not a dick. The only thing you will never have a say in with me is your safety. That will always be my priority. I know this all new to you, and me too, but this shit isn’t something you deal with every day; and I would understand if you said no.” He stopped pacing to come back to the couch, grabbing her hands in both of his. “Look, I know this is a lot, and not exactly ideal. And I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing myself. The only one with this kind of experience is Vincent. Unfortunately, his wife passed away.”

Poppy looked at their hands, his totally enveloping hers, accentuating the near double in size difference between them.

“What do we do now?”

“You make a choice. Wear the cut or not, whatever you decide, I’m still yours and you’re still mine. This isn’t a make or break type thing.”

“Can I have some time to think about it? It’s a lot to take in.”

“Sure sweetheart, I’m just glad you didn’t dump me on the spot.” He was damned glad she didn’t leave him. Tora tried to smile and pass the comment off as a joke, but only he knew how serious he was. The fear he felt through the entire conversation was something he never wanted to experience ever again. He was elated that she didn’t just up and leave him on the spot.

Feeling an urge to break the resounding tension, Poppy rearranged herself, putting her tiny frame in Tora’s lap with her head below his chin. They had been sitting in silence when Poppy remembered the portfolio she had asked him to bring.

“Hey, did you remember to bring your portfolio?”

“Yeah, but why did ya want me to bring it?”

“I wanted to see your work. Can I see it now?”

Tora pointed in the direction of her kitchen, “Go for it kid, it’s on your counter.”

He watched as she sprung from the couch and ran to her kitchen. He didn’t understand her excitement for a few sketches and pictures, but he was happy to see her out of her head after such a heavy convo. Popp returned shortly, carrying his portfolio in one hand and two bottles of juice in the other.

“Ya wanna tell me what this is all about?” He cracked open each bottle and handed one back to her, drinking from his own as he watched her open the portfolio to the first page.

“In a little bit, let your girlfriend be nosey first.”

Tora felt the cheshire grin on his face after hearing her so easily refer to herself as his girlfriend. Flooded with warmth, it gave him some much needed hope that this could work out between them. He shook his head to himself as he saw how happy she looked, flipping through the protected pages.

Poppy took her time looking at each stencil with their finished photos next to them. She had a question for each page, asking whether he enjoyed it, or if there a part that was hard for him, or if maybe there was a story behind any of them. Poppy didn’t notice that they had killed almost 2 hours sitting with one another, bonding over a different form of art than she was used to. She was turning the page when she came across a man who showed off a neck tattoo of lilies and orchids.

“Do you enjoy doing floral pieces? Or do you just do them because that’s what your clients want?”

Tora scratched his cheek as he looked at the page she had stopped on. He remembered doing this specific one for a friend of his after his mother passed.

“I like everything that I’ve done, even if it’s outta my comfort zone, or outta my preferred style. Gives me a chance to branch out.”

It made sense to Poppy, not wanting to get stuck in one particular style. It’s why she practiced with different mediums when it came to her own art.

“Ya gonna tell me why ya wanted to be nosey?”

Poppy snapped the portfolio closed, and with confidence she said, “I think I want a tattoo.”

Slightly shocked, Tora pulled back to peer at her face, nervous excitement glittering in her eyes.

“So, you wanted to see my work because…?”

Maybe Poppy misunderstood when he offered to do her first tattoo. Maybe he was just joking, which made Poppy feel embarrassed for getting so excited.

“Well, you said if I wanted to get one, I should come see you. So, I wanted to see your portfolio and see what all you’ve done, how good you really are.”

Tora pointed to the crest on the side of his neck, “Been doing all of the MC tattoos since I was sixteen. The guy doin it before me died in an accident shortly after I got mine done, so I took over. Taught me everything I know.”

Poppy did quick math in her head, “So you’ve been doing tattoos for the last ten years?”

“Well, when you put it like that, it seems like forever. Didn’t know it had been that long now that I think about it.”

“Who did yours?” Poppy had heard of some artists doing their own, but Tora’s were so elaborate and extensive, it would have been very difficult to do them his self.

“Goliath did some of it. Another artist finished them.”

Poppy could hear the agitation at the mention of his brother. “I’m sorry, I know that’s a touchy subject for you.”

“It’s fine, he may be my shit head little brother, but he’s the only blood I got. Blood isn’t always everything though, so…” Tora shrugged, effectively ending that topic. “So, you _think_ you want a tattoo?”

“Yes!” Poppy bounced on her couch until Tora ended the moment with one phrase.

“Then I won’t do it.”

Confusion.

“But you said-”

“I know what I said kid, but _you_ need to be sure. Not just thinking about it. They’re permanent, in case ya forgot. I’ve seen too many people rush into some shit and regret it. I don’t want that for ya.”

Poppy nodded her head along, understanding why he denied her. Ultimately, he was right.

“Ok, I get it, you’re right.”

“I know I am.”

“Ok smartass.”

“Better than bein a dumbass.”

Poppy rolled her eyes and smacked him in the face with a pillow. Tora pulled it from his face, displaying a smile, dimples included. She laughed at the quick comeback, “Put those dimples away, they’re ridiculous.”

Tora kissed her quickly before saying, “Bobby, I’ll for sure do ya first tattoo. But I need ya to be absolutely sure ya want whatever it is ya decide to get. We'll work on it together to make it perfect.”

Poppy kissed him back, silently saying thank you as Tora reached in his pocket to pull out his phone. It was later than either of them thought, seeing the digital clock tell them it was well past eleven at night.

“What time ya work tomorrow?”

“Ten, I got the lunch shift”

“Guess I should leave; let you get some sleep.”

Poppy stood from his lap and offered her hand, “I’ll walk you out.”

Tora grabbed his things and dressed in her foyer, slipping on his shoes last.

“I’ll be out on a run for Vincent till Friday starting tomorrow. I’ll text ya and shit throughout the week.”

Poppy thought back to the last time she saw him after doing one of these “runs” for his boss. She didn’t want to have to deal with the drama again, but if she wanted to make things work for them, she would have to learn to accept the state he came back in.

“Is this… going to be like the last one you did?”

Tora puled her to his chest, knowing what she was referring to. “No, thank fuck. This is just formality bullshit. Ya don’t have to worry about me comin back in a shit mood.”

“Ok,” Poppy released a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “Just keep me updated on stuff if you can.”

She opened the door for him to step through, reaching up at the last minute and pulling on his neck. Bringing their lips together, Tora felt the intensity of knowing he’ll gone for the next week. He hadn’t even left yet and he already missed her deeply. He dropped his hand to rest on her lower back, pulling her in close. Wrapping a hand around the back of neck, he felt every inch of her fit perfectly with him.

_How the mighty have fallen. Slip of a woman got me wrapped around her fuckin pinky._

Poppy broke free and with a breathy voice she told him, “Ride safe.”

“Of course.”

With one last chaste kiss, he disappeared down her stairwell. Like muscle memory, she locked her door and went straight to her balcony, watching him get ready and take off out of the parking lot. Poppy thought to herself that the small little routine they had developed unintentionally gave her reassurance that she would see him again and he would be safe. He would always come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not wear a property patch, I have a patch of my own, in case anybody was wondering. My best friend doesn't wear one either, she also has her own patch. We told the boys (our men lol) if they wanted to ride for a club, it had to be one that let females wear their own patches, not just property patches. We don't care for the term, but it really is part of the culture. If we didn't ride ourselves, we would probably wear property patches, but we got our own bikes. So we said fuck that shit lol.
> 
> Oh, and the "smartass/better than bein a dumbass" comment is curtesy of the boyfriend. He says that stupid shit all the fuckin time. *Insert severely dramatic eye roll here*
> 
> Total side note: it is fuckin AWKWARD to go back and read some of the earlier chapters and catch typos and dumb mistakes lol.


	13. To Die For

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'm back! Thank for being so patient with me. I appreciate the fuck out of y'all.
> 
> I won't keep y'all long, so enjoy the chapter.
> 
> Y'all know the drill: read some weird shit, let me know.
> 
> As usual, all characters belong to the infamous Lilyduck, I just like making their lives really fuckin complicated.

Poppy’s week passed with no fanfare. She spent her time working, hanging out with Erdene and occasionally talking to Tora. He did as he said he would and texted or called every chance he got, even if it was only two or three times a day. What she did notice was that no matter how many times they talked through the day, he always told her good morning and good night, making her heart do funny things she wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge.

Thursday was her day off and she had plans to pick up her car. She had asked Erdene out to breakfast as payment for her taking her to the shop. On her way in to work, she dropped an overly excited Poppy off in front of the office. Poppy waved at her through the window before she took off, herself walking through the door. Scharch was once again manning the front desk, donning a smile for her as she skipped to the counter.

“Scharch! Can you tell Quincey I’m here for my car please?”

Scharch watched her hop in place, barely containing her excitement. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the display of happiness from her. “Yeah, I’ll go tell him right now, just wait here.”

Poppy’s eyes followed his back before he disappeared behind a corner. The anticipation was making her act a little ridiculous, but she couldn’t care less about how she looked to other people who might be watching her.

After waiting for what felt like an eternity, but was really only a few minutes, Scharch came back and told her Quincey was currently pulling her car around right now and to wait outside so she could see it. Poppy threw a quick thanks over her shoulder as she pushed through the door, seeing the hood of her car pull around from the back of the building. As she bounced on her toes, a smile spread across her face, and Quincey could hear a squeal of joy from the tiny woman through the open window. Poppy waited until he got out to catch him in a hug.

“Oh my goodness Quincey, she looks absolutely amazing!”

Quincey felt his chest swell with pride, “I’m so glad you like it. I tried my hardest to get the same shade of orange she had previously, but she ended up coming out just a tad bit brighter.”

“That’s just fine Quincey, she still looks great.” Poppy stood to admire the clean, fresh gleam that came from the fresh paint, catching the sunlight at just the right angle. The car had been buffed and polished to the highest extent, showcasing the meticulous work of the person who did it all.

“I also went ahead and tinted your windows. It was entirely too bright in there. You’ll hurt your eyes and cause wrinkles that you are far too young to have. Gotta keep that skin looking young for as long as possible.”

“That wasn’t necessary, but I appreciate it.”

“Well, it was really easy since I already had the car in pieces. Only took a few hours. Oh!” Quincey clasped his hands together and smiled, “Before I forget, there’s a little surprise for you on the side.” Quincey walked to the other side of the car a pointed to a spot near the back wheel.

Poppy followed behind him, walking to the other side of her car. At first, she saw nothing, but with his pointing, Poppy caught sight of the black calligraphy on the rear passenger tire well, her full name written in beautiful cursive swirls.

“Quincey, its beautiful, your penmanship is flawless.”

“Ha! I wish I had a steady hand for something like that, I could make more money, but alas, my dear, I did not do that. A certain brooding man did it just before he left.” Quincey added a salacious eyebrow wiggle at the end, confirming her idea of who it was. She quickly pulled her phone out and brought up the camera, snapping a picture. Attaching it to a text that he would hopefully see before the end of the day, she told him it was beautiful and that she loved it. She knew he wouldn’t respond right away, but hopefully her words properly expressed to him how much it meant to her.

Poppy shoved her phone in her back pocket before she turned back to Quincey, “Thanks again for everything Quincey. Like I said on the phone, you just tell me what you want and when so I can cook for you.”

“That sounds great honey, I’m already looking forward to it.” He pulled Poppy into a hug before he handed the keys back to her. As she settled herself in her car, she could instantly feel a piece of herself coming back in alignment. It was the simple things, like having her own car, that made a world of difference in her life. She rolled her window down and gave one last wave to Quincey before she left.

Poppy took her time going home, enjoying the nice weather with her windows rolled down and her music blaring through the speakers. She swung by the grocery store and grabbed a few things she was running low on, including the juice Tora always drank at her house. Driving back home, Poppy spent the rest of her afternoon cleaning her apartment, watering and spending time with her plants and even a few hours up on her roof painting.

She had no intentions of painting something specific. At first, she was only doing some random brush strokes, playing with colors she was attempting to create on her own. Soon after, she felt the urge to paint an image that had briefly cropped up in her mind, immediately searching for a blank canvas. Poppy ran back to her place and snatched a medium sized canvas and switched it with her practice one, rushing back to the roof before she lost her focus. She made sure her laptop was on a playlist, a special one she had recently started building, and turned her speakers up as loud as they would go. There were no thoughts, no plans, no step-by-step instructions for her to follow; Poppy let her brush and her paint just flow in the way she felt the most comfortable. She didn’t stop, there were no breaks, no questioning the process.

Poppy didn’t know how much time had passed, but the sun had started it’s decent for the day, getting ready to trade places for the moon to serve for the night. By the time she felt like she had finished, she took a step back, looking to see if the canvas made any sense. What was in front of her made her heart stop, launching to a new spot in her throat. A mixture of bright red poppies and orange lilies in a field of chartreuse grass, a tiger in the midst of it all, blending in with the flowers surrounding him, crouching with his face obscured by everything, golden eyes vibrant and the main focus. Poppy knew the inspiration behind it, it was glaringly obvious, but she’ll be damned is she admits what it really means to her.

A shrill ringing shocked her out of her thoughts. She reached in her back pocket to pull her phone out, blushing a shade of red close to the poppies on her canvas as she read Tora’s name across her screen. It was impossible for him to know what she was painting, but she felt as if she had been caught doing something wrong. She let out a nervous giggle before she swiped and answered the incoming call.

“Hey there handsome.”

“Hey ya’self sweetheart. What’re ya up to?”

Poppy started gathering up her supplies as she answered, “I was painting on the roof, but I’m just about finished.”

“Perfect, look down.”

She looked down at her feet, confused at the request. “Why am I looking at my feet? Are you into kinky feet stuff?”

Poppy could hear the face palm, “Jesus Christ kid, I know you’re smarter than this. I meant look down in your parking lot.”

She walked to the edge of her roof and leaned on the railing. There, in his usual spot next to her car, Tora was leaned up against his bike wearing a tight black t-shirt with his cut and a pair of old faded jeans. He had only been gone for few days, but Poppy had been starved for his attention.

Poppy jumped with the phone still to her ear, “You’re home early!”

“Wanna go for a ride? Maybe go get dinner?”

“Abso-freaking-lutely! Let me put my stuff up and change, then I’ll be right down.” She hung up the phone without saying goodbye, hearing his deep laughter carried up by the breeze. Throwing her supplies in her carrier and carefully grabbing the still wet canvas, she ran down the stairs to her apartment. She dropped her things in the general area that she kept them, but paused to figure out a place to hide the canvas for the time being. It couldn’t be left out for Tora to see in case he came up after dinner; talk about embarrassing. She propped it up under the window of her bedroom, the painting facing the wall for better protection from overly observant eyes.

Poppy quickly tossed on jeans and a t-shirt with a hoodie and some canvas shoes before grabbing her wallet and phone, putting them in her back pockets. She rushed through her door, locking it before running down the stairs, her excitement building with every step. Poppy kept her momentum as she slammed through the side door, through the parking lot, and jumped right into Tora’s arms. She tightly wrapped her arms and legs around him, Tora easily and steadily catching her.

“Someone’s excited. Miss me that much sweetheart?” Tora reached up and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek with the back of his knuckles.

“Maybe, but I’m just really happy with my random visit. Why didn’t you call me?”

“Wanted to surprise ya. Thought about grabbing the car first but it woulda taken too long. Wanted to get here sooner. Surprised you didn’t hear the bike pull up.”

“I was distracted while painting, but you’re here now and I’m super excited.” Poppy leaned in and placed a slow and gentle kiss on his lips. It was chaste compared to what he normally got from her, but with her wrapped around him, her hands threaded through his hair, and her natural scent enveloping him, a heat stirred in his gut. He knew he missed her, but finally having her in his arms like this solidified the yearning he had felt for the last few days.

He pulled back, admiring the light from the setting sun in her eyes. He felt a smirk pull at his lips, “Come on, lets feed you.” He placed her down on her feet, reaching for the new helmet he had bought just for her. It was a solid matte black, much like his own, but with her nickname written in orange at the base of it in the back.

Poppy eyed the helmet with confusion, seeing that it wasn’t the one she normally wore. “Hey…”

“You ready to go or what?”

Poppy looked up and saw him fiddling with his mirrors, mumbling something about not liking the glare. His ears were tipped a deep red color, giving away his embarrassment. She gripped his hand and pulled him down, planting a kiss on his cheek, “I love it.”

Tora looked down at her and nodded, feeling his face flush. He was new to this whole relationship thing. He questioned everything he did and said, but seeing that smile on her face always gave him reassurance.

Poppy placed the helmet on her head, feeling the difference in wearing something that was meant to fit. Tora walked her through doing up the straps for herself and did his own. Both of them got comfortable on the bike before taking off out the parking lot.

Poppy had no idea where they were going, seeing that they were going towards the edge of town. She was enjoying the ride, feeling her body pressed into Tora’s as he whipped them through the town with ease.

After almost half an hour, he pulled them into an alley, parking his bike right beside a door that she assumed led into a restaurant. With it being tucked so far back, there was no real parking, but she didn’t think he was supposed to park directly next to the door. She undid her straps and asked him, “Are you allowed to park this close to the door?”

Tora was putting his hair in a bun as he answered, “Alice lets me park here since I don’t take up much space.”

“I just don’t want anything to happen to your bike is all…”

Tora grabbed her hand and pulled her into his side. _God, she fits perfectly._ “Nice of ya to worry Bobby, but it’ll be fine, promise.”

Poppy could only shrug her shoulders in response as he slid open the door for her. Walking in was a surprise for her. She had never known this restaurant to exist, but as she was growing up here, she had really only been to a few places, preferring to stick to things she knew and was comfortable with. The restaurant was all low lighting and tiny spaces, cozy and inviting rather than feeling like you were sitting on top of another patron. The smells coming from the kitchen were rich and heavy, alluding to delicious food that she was about to consume.

As Poppy looked around, she heard Tora knock on the front counter and lean over to peek behind it.

“Oi, Alice.”

_Rude._

Tora smiled and put on a full display of his dimples as a small old lady came from the back. Clothed in a purple robe with a fuzzy pink collar, her glasses perched on the top of her head, she looked every bit her age. She had cocked a fist on her hip as she stared at Tora. Before he could speak, she reached up, whacking him on his head with a folded fan from the pockets of her robe.

Poppy couldn’t stop the shocked chuckle from leaving her lips, earning a playful glare from Tora as he walked up to her.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, nothing.” A blush once again spread across her cheeks as Tora guided her up a set of stairs. She paused at the base of them, seeing how old the stairs really looked. “Is it even safe to walk up these stairs? They look kind of old.”

“Seriously Bobby?” Tora stared down at her; a serious look pointed at him as he expected her to be joking. “Fine, I’ll go first. Chickenshit.” Leaving her behind, he walked up the stairs with confidence in their stability.

“I heard that you thug!”

Tora chuckled to himself as he settled them at his usual table. He felt nervous as he looked across the table at her. He had never brought someone here with him, except for Gyu and Quincey. Goliath and him used to work here when they were kids and Alice was like a mother to them, watching over them as they grew up into who they were today. He knew he didn’t need it, but he wanted Alice to see the woman who snared him up in her trap.

_Willingly caught if I’m honest…_

Alice walked up the stairs, seeing Tora and this small girl sitting at his table. She was cute, perfect for him actually, and she couldn’t wait to see how the tiger kept this little lamb to himself.

“What do ya want to drink? We got alcohol, alcohol or alcohol.”

Poppy perked up at the sound of alcohol, “Sake sounds good.”

“The usual.”

Alice rolled her eyes at the boy, “We’re outta the usual.”

“HA?! You got it right here on the wall! I’ve been ordering it for years.”

“Changed the menu yesterday kid.”

Tora squinted his eyes at Alice, trying to feel for her meddling deception. “Fine, water for me.”

“Seriously? You bring a fat, juicy, little lamb up to ya lair, and ya just gonna what? Bicker and sip on ya green tea? What are ya, the 40-year-old virgin?”

Tora took off at a dead sprint, snatching up the tiny old lady in his arms as he ran back down the stairs.

“And you call yourself a tiger? Remember to get the XL sized ones, little lady!”

Poppy blushed at the sexually charged statement. It was one thing to hear her crack a few well placed jokes on Tora, but another to pull her in with innuendos.

Tora returned a few minutes later, mumbling to himself about meddling old bats needing to mind their own business. As he sat back down, Poppy finally got a good look at his face. At quick glance, he seemed fine, but the harder she looked, there were dark circles beneath his eyes, the golden hue dimmed and flat. His shoulders were weighted down with the trip he had just returned from. She desperately wanted to ask if he was ok, but she would wait until they finished eating, not wanting spoil their reunion with any possibility of club drama.

Alice came up with their drinks, followed by a kid with stringy black hair covering half of his face carrying the food. As he placed the food on the table, he kept glancing at Tora. He noticed the kid had tried to get a good look at his face, but every time Tora would look his way, he would quickly look elsewhere. When he finished placing the food, he lingered closer to Tora. He slowly cocked his head and caught a glimpse of his eyes hidden behind the curtain of his hair.

_Are his eyes…_

The kid quickly bowed before Tora could confirm his thoughts, scurrying back down the stairs.

_There’s no fuckin way._

Tora let the thoughts go as Alice cracked a few more jokes on his behalf before she left. As Poppy looked at the display of food covering the entire table, she wondered to herself where all of this was going to go.

“I hope you plan to eat most of this yourself. I don’t think I can help with much of it.”

Tora was already loading his plate with pieces of food from around the table as he answered. “Most of this I normally order for myself, I just added an extra order of things I thought you’d like. Whatever you don’t eat, I’ll finish.”

“Well, it all looks delicious.”

“Alice is a great cook, always has been. Been eating here for years and she gave me my first real job.”

Poppy placed a piece of tuna sashimi on her plate, “So you’ve known Alice for a long time then.”

Tora looked up and flashed a bit of vulnerability. “She’s the closest thing I have to family.”

Sensing the rare moment of sensitivity, Poppy reached over and grabbed his hand, noticing the faraway look in his eyes.

“Well, I’m glad you have her. Looks like she had a big hand in raising you outside the club.”

Tora didn’t want the heavy conversation to sour the atmosphere. He squeezed her hand and smile at her around a cheek full of food. “Let’s eat. I haven’t had real food in days and I’m starving.”

Tora and Poppy fell into a quiet conversation about happy memories of him and Alice as he grew up. Every once in a while, Tora would pick a piece of food and place it on her plate, encouraging her to try something different every time. After a few rounds, Poppy set her chopsticks down, debating on eating any more or leaving the rest for Tora.

“You done eating?”

“I think so. I need to start watching what I eat. Plus, I figu-”

Tora started choking on his food, floored at the fact that the topic of her weight came up _yet again._ “Why the fuck is this being talked about again?”

Poppy was patting him on the back when she heard the anger in his question. “I don’t know, one of the guys from the club just said something-”

Tora finished chugging his water before he replied. “I swear to fuck, I’m gonna kill him, whoever it is.”

“Babe, it’s not that big of a deal. I need to lose a few pounds anyways.”

“Fuck that, no you don’t! You look fine just like that. You’re beautiful goddammit,” Tora wiped his mouth with a napkin and threw it on the table. “Next time you see that motherfucker at the bar, I want you to point him out. I’m beating his ass. Needs to learn to keep his fuckin comments to himself.”

Tora crossed his arms as he heard his tiny girlfriend giggle at his angry rant. “I appreciate the chivalry, but I’ll be ok. I feel like I could lose a few pounds anyways.”

Leaning forward on his elbow, Tora glared at her. “Have you ever tried to lose weight before?”

Poppy cocked her head, not seeing where this was going. “What do you mean?”

“I mean do you know where you would lose weight from first? ‘Cause if you lose weight in your cheeks, ass or thighs, I’m gonna lose my shit.” Tora punctuated his fervor with a pinch to said cheeks that he loved so much.

It was confusing to hear him so adamant about her body. Julri always used to tell her that she was getting on the chunky side, so Tora’s views didn’t seem right to her. “Do you really think me losing weight is that big of a deal?”

Tora was lost as to why she didn’t see what he saw every day. There was no other woman he had ever seen, or been with, that looked half as good as she did. Without effort, at that. She was flawless to him.

“Yes, Poppylan! I did not fall in love with you any other way than the way you look right now. You’re fucking gorgeous, ya personality is infectious, and you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.”

Tora was breathing heavy by the time he finished his spiel. He had hoped that everything he said wasn’t too harsh, but fuck, he just needed her to see what he saw. What everyone saw and loved about her.

Poppy had never heard him speak so passionately about anything, let alone her and their relationship. She had no idea how to react, not only to his praises, but also to the fact that he said he loved her. She had a strong feeling that he said it without realizing and didn’t want to pressure him to repeat it. There had been thoughts of love and him floating around her head this past week. She didn’t know how to label her own feelings, didn’t even think about the possibility of him already labeling his own, but if he felt that way…

_Maybe that painting was an expression of my thoughts…_

Tora watched as her feelings warred across her face. He hadn’t meant to be so loud and he was worried he had upset her. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry for getting loud with you. I’m not mad at you, but I am mad at that dumbass.”

Poppy nodded her head. She wanted to make sure he knew what he had said before she gave him any kind of response. Her quietness was disconcerting, making Tora nervous with her lack of speech. He really hoped she didn’t think he was lashing out at her. He just wanted emphasize that no matter what anyone ever said to her, he would always think she was the most beautiful thing in the world. Tora’s inner thoughts were interrupted when she placed her hand on his arm and looked in his eyes.

“Did you really mean what you said?”

Tora twisted his body, fully facing her and making sure she understood where he was coming from. “Absolutely sweetheart. I really don’t think anything needs to change. But I can’t tell _you_ how to feel. If you think you should lose weight, do it for yourself, not because some dickwad said some sideways shit he had no right fuckin sayin’.”

“What about the other thing?” Poppy started tracing his tattoos, trying to conceal her nerves.

“What other thing? Me beating his ass? That’s a definite. Soon as I find him, it’s on sight that he gets a fist to the face.”

“No, I mean what you said about you… you know… uhm…” Poppy tightened her grip on his forearm. She couldn’t bring herself to say the words, the fear of rejection closing her throat.

Tora had no clue what she was talking about. He quickly ran through everything he said and came up with nothing that could elicit the reaction he was receiving. “You’re gonna have to spell it out for me Bobby. I’m running on fumes at this point, and all the food isn’t helping. What did I say?”

Poppy closed her eyes as she thought about just dropping it. If he didn’t catch what he said, he probably didn’t mean it. It was just a slip. Thinking that hurt, but she refused to let it change her own feelings.

_Maybe, just maybe, he did mean it. Might as well find out now, rather than later._

Taking a deep breath, Poppy steeled herself for the possibility of this backfiring.

“You said you fell in love with me the way I look now.”

Tora stiffened, his eyes widening at the slip he made. He mentally kicked himself in the ass for blurting something so important. It was true though, he _did_ love her; he thought that it was too soon to say it, or maybe she didn’t or wouldn’t feel the same way. Alice had always told him that he had a big ass heart that he gave away too easily, his best and worst quality. When he loved, he loved hard, but if it wasn’t returned, it hurt like hell. With him slipping up, he had no choice but to own up to it. No use in denying it.

“Bobby. I meant it, honestly. If you don’t feel the same way, or its too soon for you to say it back and mean it, that’s fine. But I’m not taking it back.”

“Well, that’s great…” Poppy sagged in relief. Tora watched as the stress left her features, but felt his heart begin to crack. He knew it was too fast, but her relief made his stomach roll.

“Because I love you too.”

The proverbial record screeched in Tora’s head. He knew the shock was clear on his face, and he tried to school his features into a neutral expression, but after a few minutes he couldn’t fight the smile.

_She loves me. She said she loves me!_

He reached around the table and dragged her into his lap, burying his face in the side of neck. He could feel the sting of emotions building in his eyes and he refused to cry in front of her. “I love you sweetheart. I swear I’ll make you happy.”

Poppy couldn’t help but giggle at the force behind his words. She threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled his face away from her neck. As she looked in his eyes, she saw the light had returned, no longer dimmed by the burdens he carried. “I love you too tiger. Now, let’s finish eating so we can go home. I have something to show you.”

Tora nodded as he released her. They spent another twenty minutes finishing the food, talking about random things, enjoying their time together. Once they finished, they walked back down stairs and found Alice sitting behind the front counter.

“Thanks for the food Alice.” Tora leaned down and kissed her cheek.

“Yeah, well maybe ya should visit more often. Big oaf.” She took a drag off her pen when she realized she had something to give him. She reached in her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, handing it to Tora. “Read this when you have time.”

“What is it?”

“Just read it. Stop asking so many damn questions. And bring this little lady back soon, she’s good for ya.”

“Yeah yeah, I will.” Tora grabbed Poppy’s hand and pulled her out the door.

Poppy turned and waved to Alice, “Thanks for the food Granny!”

Alice raised her fan as a goodbye. She waited for the noise of Tora’s bike to fade away before she got up to lock the door, closing her restaurant for the night. She shut off the lights as she headed to the kitchen, finding the teenage boy washing dishes.

He looked back, feeling her eyes on his body. He shut the water off before he spoke. “Did you give it to him?”

“I did. But don’t get ya hopes up. That man lives a dangerous life and I doubt he’d want a kid brother in the middle of it.”

The kid pushed his hair out of his face, thinking to himself that he needed a haircut. He was used to hiding his eyes, hating the fact that they creeped people out. But seeing Tora walk around like they were nothing gave him some confidence.

“Ulaan, mop the floor after those dishes. We’ll go home after that.”

“Yes ma’am.”

_I hope he reads it. I just need him to read it and maybe then I’ll have a real family._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: I've been doing this story on a running word doc, I've reached 103 pages and 56,063 words. It's fuckin nuts that I've written this much lol.


	14. Take It Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, would ya look at that? A new chapter! I don't really have much to say for this chapter, but I will say this:
> 
> I. Fuckin. Love. Y'all.
> 
> All the new comments, and kudos, and my ride or die... *cough* Ambygirl9876 *cough*. Y'all really do be makin ya girl feel good and fuzzy on the inside. This cold black soul has been defrosting because of y'all. And I can't express how much I appreciate it.
> 
> Anyways, I'm done rambling, y'all go have fun and read the chappie. Its shorter than most, by like a thousand-ish words, but this is pinnacle point in the story.
> 
> As usual, these characters belong to Lilydusk, I just like to make shit sKressful lol.

The ride home was enjoyable, but while sitting on the back of the bike, Poppy could feel her nerves ramping up. Showing the painting to Tora was going to put her in a vulnerable position. Very easily could she tell him that she felt the same way, but showing him something that she had a personal connection with… that was something completely different, even for her. For years she had communicated with people through her art, big or small, but revealing such a heavy and sentimental emotion was foreign to her. Thinking back on all the things she had created or showed to Julri, and hearing some sort of negative reaction to what she was trying to tell him, left her with a foul taste. She knew Tora was nothing like him, whatsoever, but the potential for the same reaction was making her anxiety escalate to a new level, almost to the point of nauseousness.

Before she knew it, Tora was parking the bike back in its spot next to her car, causing a rush of adrenaline to spike her heart rate. Poppy could see her hands shaking as she undid the straps and began to feel the beginnings of a nervous sweat start at the base of her neck.

Tora reached for Poppy’s hand as they began walking up to her apartment. He glanced down at her after feeling the tremble in her grasp. Her face was uncharacteristically blank, but seeing her chew on her lip belied her nerves. Once Poppy had unlocked her door, he could feel the tension rise, unaware of the reason.

Tora had kicked off his shoes and placed his cut on a kitchen chair when he felt her guide him to her sofa, pushing him into the cushions.

“What’s with the aggression sweetheart?” Tora smirked as he caught the flush spread across her cheeks.

“No aggression. No idea what you mean.”

Tora looked down and saw her twisting the hem of her shirt.

“Bobby, ya ok?”

“I want to show you something. So, I need you to stay here and close your eyes.” Poppy watched as his face deadpanned before breaking out into a hearty laugh.

“I don’t know why ya freakin’ out kid. Just show me. Is me closing my eyes really necessary?”

“Tora, yes!” Poppy was close to calling it quits and not showing him at all. Insecurities that had plagued her previous relationship were rearing their ugly heads. “It’ll help me not chicken out. Will you please just do it for me? Pleeease?”

Tora chuckled as he leaned back into the couch. “Fine, I’ll play along sweetheart.” He leaned his head back against the back of the couch, laying his arms across the top.

Poppy watched as his body unfurled. She was still amazed at how small he made everything look compared to his huge frame. He was larger than life; the translation of his name suited him.

“No peeking, you thug.”

“I would never.”

Poppy slowly backed out of the living room, dashing to her bedroom to grab the painting. She took a moment to collect her thoughts before she bared her heart for him.

_What if he doesn’t like it?_

_What if he laughs?_

_What if he says it’s childish?_

_What the hell-_

“Sweetheart, whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll be fine. I can hear that hamster wheel spinning from out here.”

_Tora isn’t Julri._

Poppy caught her final thought and took a deep calming breath before she turned around. She peeked around the corner, checking to make sure he still had his eyes closed. From her view as she quietly walked up to him, he almost looked asleep, but she could see the hint of a smile playing at the corner of his lips, telling her that he was indeed still awake. She was further building her courage when he spoke, scaring her with his accuracy of hearing.

“Ya just gonna stand there and stare or ya gonna let me open my eyes now?”

_Tora isn’t Julri._

“Why am I not surprised you knew I was watching?”

_Tora isn’t Julri._

Tora’s smirk morphed into a bright smile, “Because ya know I’m a badass.”

_Tora isn’t Julri._

“Put your dimples away, they’re obscene.”

Tora relaxed his features into a mask of indifference, a hint of his previous smile lingering. Poppy took one last deep breath before she spoke.

_Tora isn’t Julri._

“Ok, open your eyes.”

Tora slowly lifted his neck, opening his amber eyes and pinning Poppy to her spot. He shifted, putting his elbows on his knees, and smiled at her.

“Poppy, why did I do all of this just to look at the back of a canvas?”

“Because I haven’t turned it around yet.”

“Alright kid, let’s do this. Show me this painting that’s got ya all flustered.” Tora was chuckling as she flipped the painting. What he saw made he smile slowly fall, the laughter dying in his throat.

“Well…”

Tora couldn’t string a sentence together. He knew Poppy had skills; he had seen it every time he came by her place. None of the paintings on her walls had changed, but he saw something different in them every time he looked at them. A new feeling, a new color, a new perspective. _Something_ always changed his views on the art that graced her walls.

But this…

“That’s…”

“I knew it. I should just chuck this one into the trash.”

Tora’s eyes grew wide as he surged off the couch, catching her arms as she walked to her door. “Wait! Why would you toss it?”

Poppy felt her eyes begin to fill with tears. She always hated the fact that she was so quick to cry with her emotions. It made her feel weak, as if she couldn’t control her waterworks when her emotions became too much for her to handle.

“Well, you don’t seem to like it.”

Tora let go of her arms in return for placing his hands on her face, clasping her cheeks. “No, I mean yea. I mean… _fuckin shit._ No, I DO like it. When did you paint this one?”

Poppy spoke around her cheeks squished between his massive hands, “Today. I had just finished it when you called. Honestly, at the time, I don’t know what made me paint it. I know now that it’s because I love you. So…” Poppy set the painting down in front of her and reached up to pull his hands from her face. “What do you think? And be honest, you won’t hurt my feelings or anything.”

Tora took a step back and looked down at the art leaning against her shins. He stared at the painting, wondering why the tiger’s eyes felt real. The poppies were the brightest shade of red and the lilies contrasted so much it almost didn’t make sense. Looking back at the tiger, Tora noticed that its eyes were damn near the same shade as his own. He bent down and lifted the painting to his height, fully submerging himself in the heartfelt creation that came from his tiny girlfriend’s hands. There were no words good enough to tell her how much it meant to him, and how much he loved it.

“It’s beautiful, sweetheart.”

Poppy released a breath she had been holding since he picked up the painting. “Really? It’s not weird or anything?”

“Bobby, there’s probably nothing ya could say or do that I would see as weird. If anything, I might do some weird shit.” He bent down and kissed her forehead. “So, now that you know I dig the painting, what’re ya gonna do with it? ‘Cause if ya still gonna toss it, I’ll take it.”

“Do you really want it?” Poppy saw the seriousness on his face, but she didn’t imagine that he would want to keep it for himself.

“Hell yeah, kid. And I know the perfect spot for it too.”

“Then yes, you can keep it. Where are you gonna put it in your place?”

Tora gave her devilish smile, causing Poppy to reconsider letting him keep the art.

“Oh, its not goin in my place. I need people to see the damn thing. It’s goin in my studio.”

Tora ended his statement with a succinct head nod and turned to head back to the couch. As he dropped his oversized body down, Poppy processed what exactly he had said. She walked, slowly gathering her words, to stand behind him as he sat and stared at the painting some more.

“What studio?”

“The tattoo shop. I have my own studio in there. I’m gonna hang it in there.”

Tora could sense her hovering behind him. Poppy wasn’t one to sneak, so her doing something like that kept his senses on alert.

“Why would you want to hang it there?”

Tora dropped the painting to lean it against her table, freeing his hands to deal with whatever she had planned. He had no idea what she could do, but he wanted to be prepared. “Well, sweetheart, in case you couldn’t tell, I’m proud to display the shit you make me. I need everybody to see the talent you have.”

“But I didn’t make it for everybody else.”

“Tough shit kid.”

Tora was prepared for anything she might have done, but what he _wasn’t_ prepared for was for her to launch herself from behind. Taken by surprise, Tora felt her body land awkwardly over his shoulders, her upper body hanging dangerously low between his legs. She scrambled to reach her arm down and grab the painting, but Tora was quicker. Using the strength in his legs, Tora pushed the couch back from its spot, putting an extra four inches between Poppy’s little fingers and the art. As Tora ducked to the side, Poppy felt her body drop the rest of the way down the couch.

Tora quickly stood, twisting Poppy’s position from face first between his legs to looking down his back. Somehow, he had flipped her around and tossed her over his shoulder as he stood from his seat. Poppy was breathing as she hung her head in defeat. Tora showed no signs of exertion, further igniting her ire in the situation. Feeling frisky, Poppy pulled his shirt up as high as she could and bit the first area she could reach.

“OW! Did you just fuckin bite me?!”

“Yes! You’re flaunting your thug skills and it’s not fair!” She swung down and landed a firm smack across his perky backside.

“Oi! Behave or I won’t let ya down.” Tora was trying hard to not let her take over their current position, but she was making it damned hard, wiggling around with her ass in his face. “Not my fault ya can’t be sneaky to save ya life.”

“Says the man who’s practically a ghost when he walks with freaky ninja skills.”

“Someone sounds jealous. Look, I’ll flip ya ‘round if you promise not to make another grab at the art _you_ made _me_ , got it?” Tora waited for a response. When he felt her body go limp across his shoulder, he reached up and grabbed her around her waist. He cradled her against his chest while he sat back down on the couch. Keeping a firm hold on her, he lifted a hand to push wayward strands of hair away from his face.

“Now, tell me why I can’t let my clients see my girlfriend’s art?”

Poppy’s face was red from both the exertion of her foiled plans as well as being kept upside down.

“Because. I made it for you, not for everyone else. I don’t need your clients making fun of you for having something like that in your studio next to your own work.”

“I’m gonna take a wild stab in the dark here and say you feel like this because whatever the fuck his name is told you some shit before.” When Poppy didn’t answer, Tora had all the answers he needed. “Poppy, I need you to look at me when I say this.”

Tora waited for her to lift her eyes from her lap to his own.

“I may be new to this whole relationship shit, but I’m not stupid. I know how much something is worth when it comes from someone you love and who loves you back. I’m telling you this right now kid, if you ever make me something else, I’m gonna do the same thing. Especially if it’s art. I dare someone to mock _my_ girl’s hard fuckin work simply because they don’t like it. Or it doesn’t go with whatever else is on my walls. Or it doesn’t fit their view of me. So, to close out my speech, your art is going on my wall, in my studio, because I love you and I love what you made me and I love what it means _to you._ ”

Poppy couldn’t help but stare at the man she had grown to love over the last few months. His heart was something she had always admired about him, despite not being overly affectionate, but his actions and his words spoke volumes. She placed her hands on his cheeks, squishing his face as he had done to her earlier.

“I love you. Thank you.”

Hoping to pull a giggle out of her, Tora spoke around his temporary deformation, “Tank yew fer whet?”

Throwing her head back, Poppy let out a loud laugh, releasing the nerves, anxiety and stress of the past minutes. “Dinner. The ride. Liking my painting. Everything.” She suddenly remembered never hearing anything from him about the picture of her car that she had sent him. “Especially my car. The calligraphy is beautiful, I didn’t know you had penmanship like that. Did you free hand it?”

Tora pulled her from his lap and tucked her into his side, “Yeah, I did, but it’s not that big of a deal. I’d do anything for you sweetheart.” He placed a kiss on the crown of her head before quickly turning to face the balcony, hoping to hide his own blush.

Poppy felt him shift and looked up to see him hiding his face. What he couldn’t hide was the tip of his ears turning a shade of pink she didn’t think would show on his olive skin.

“Tora?”

“Hmm.”

When he didn’t turn back to face her, she knew he was purposefully hiding his face.

“Are you… Tora, are you embarrassed?”

“No idea what ya talkin about Bobby.” Tora took his hand and placed it around his chin, hiding his lips and part of his cheeks.

Poppy gently nudged his and away and grasped his chin, forcefully turning him to face her.

“Well would you look at that, the big bad tiger does get embarrassed.”

“No I don’t.” He rolled his eyes but didn’t pull away from her, a small smile pulling at his lips.

“There’s no denying the blush babe, trust me, I’ve tried many times. What’re you so embarrassed about though?”

“Nothing.”

“Tora…”

Sighing through his nose and giving another eye roll, Tora pulled her hand from his chin, holding it in his lap with their fingers threaded.

“Fine. It’s just… weird. Hearing compliments about my shit from someone who isn’t a client”

Poppy cocked her head to the side, “You mean about the calligraphy?”

Tora gave a noncommittal grunt, not quite admitting that hearing any kind of praise made him uncomfortable. He had spent years hearing backhanded compliments from Vincent that he felt like every time he received a true compliment, there was no real emotion behind it. Most of the time, the praises he heard from his father figure were based behind a gruesome act, something he wanted no award for. The reputation he carried with him, or “the legacy” as Vincent calls it, was something he hated with every fiber. Tora had always wondered what his life would have been like had he not been scooped up by Vincent. Maybe he wouldn’t be so jaded, scared of shadows, paranoid while doing simple shit, worried about the safety of the people he loved. Maybe he would have a family of his own, with a wife, kids and a dog. Homey shit.

_Yeah fuckin right. If anybody deserves a special seat in hell, it’s you._

“Well, get used to it Tiger. As much as you throw compliments at me, expect them right back; and not just because you give them out so often, but because I mean them. Your art is just as beautiful as you think mine is.”

“Thanks sweetheart,” he pulled their clasped hands up to his lips, placing a soft kiss across her knuckles. “Ya work tomorrow?”

“Yeah, tomorrow night, as usual. What about you?”

Tora watched she stretched and yawned into her hand. “Nothing except being at the bar tomorrow night, but my day is free.”

Poppy could see now the effects of the day on his face. His eye lids were low and his grip on her waist was slowly starting to loosen. His body was relaxing into her couch and his head seemed like it was too heavy for him to keep up.

“Do you want to stay the night? It’s late and you look exhausted. You can sleep in if you want.”

“I was hoping ya would ask.” Tora shoved his body sideways from the arm of the couch, pinning her to the cushions, and shoved his head in her neck. The childish act made Poppy giggle as she began to pull his hair free from the tie, gently massaging his scalp. “I don’t think I woulda made it back to my place.”

“Problem solved then. Let’s go get ready for bed, you look like you need three days of hibernation.”

“Can’t we just stay right here?”

Briefly considering the option, Poppy shook her head, “As comfortable as you may be, and as much as I love you being on top of me, I don’t think I’d get very much sleep. You weigh a ton babe.”

Tora let out a dramatic sigh as he pushed himself away from her and off the couch. He stuck his hand out, helping pull her from the confines of her cushions and into the direction of her bedroom. Poppy split off to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Coming back to the room, she switched spots with Tora, a kiss passing between the two as he left the room. By the time he made it back, Poppy had already dressed in a baggy t-shirt and shorts while he was down to his briefs. She had thought about offering him clothes but came up with a more convenient idea.

“Why don’t you start leaving some clothes here to sleep and change into whenever you stay over?”

Tora raised his eyebrows at the ease in which she said that. She wasn’t exactly asking him to move in or anything, but she was willing to make space for him in her home. Her willingness gave him panic in return.

“Ya ok with that?”

“I mean it makes the most sense,” Poppy added a shrug to hopefully hide her bashfulness. “I can give you a drawer when you bring over your stuff.”

Tora placed the rest of his clothes in his usual chair in the corner. Thinking to himself, Poppy offering a portion of her space to him made sense, it was practical of her. But to him… it was like coming home to a place he didn’t know was a home to begin with; that shit was unfamiliar and scary to him.

Crawling in bed, he pulled Poppy as close as he could, wrapping her leg around his own, pulling her upper body across his, and burying his face in her hair, enveloping his senses in her scent that he had missed for so many days.

“I love you Bobby.”

“I love you too Tora. Now go to sleep, you need it.”

Tora laughed to himself before closing his eyes, feeling a blanket of… peace?... over him, falling victim to the sleep that had been calling his name for days.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Parked outside of the apartment complex, he pulled out his cell phone, the light illuminating the tender and still healing scar that ran from his hairline, through his right brow and across his cheekbone. Selecting the only contact in his phone, he dialed. Three rings, like always, someone picked up the phone. There would be no ‘hello,’ allowing him to speak whenever.

“He’s staying the night with her. I can wait till he leaves to grab her. Or I can snatch her on her way to work.”

“Don’t touch her yet. I want him out of the picture first.”

He rolled his eyes. This guy was a fuckin pussy. He didn’t pay him enough to go through all this bullshit for one bitch.

“Look, you paid me for one thing, to get the bitch and bring her to you. Nothin was said about him. Either you deal with that or you pay me more.”

There were a few seconds of silence on the phone before the other man spoke.

“Fine, get her when she’s alone. If you bring her to me with one scratch on her, you’ll die.”

He scoffed at the false bravado. _You won’t do shit._

“No promises. I’ll keep you updated on shit.”

“Good. As soon as I have her, you’ll have the rest of the money.”

The line went dead before he could say anything more. Locking his phone screen, he watched as the lights went out in her apartment, signaling the end of their night. He lit a cigarette as he settled himself for a long night of watching.

_I’m gonna ruin your world like you ruined my face. All ‘cause of a piece of ass._


	15. A Grave Mistake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I struggled with this chapter so much, even with an outline. I apologize for it taking so long. As always, I love y'all. You're continuous support, comments and kudos give me life with each chapter. Please enjoy and tell me what you think, honestly, like y'all always do.
> 
> Y'all should know the drill by now too: read any weird shit, let ya girl know.
> 
> As usual, these characters belong to the notorious Lilydusk, I just like making their lives entirely too dramatic.

_Friday morning…_

Sunlight began to filter through the window, waking Poppy from a deep sleep. It had been a while since she had slept this well, connecting it to the furnace that was currently wrapped around her.

Tora was a big guy. Probably double her weight and at least a foot taller than her, he was built like a tree trunk. He was thick bodied with muscles made for protection from the life he lived. Poppy was on her back with Tora easily laying on his stomach with his arm thrown over her waist, his shoulder still flush with the mattress. Slowly, she moved his arm to lay it beside him and sat up, stretching her back and her neck. A deep yawn cleared some the sleep from her eyes, making her turn to check to see if she had woken him up.

Tora was dead to the world. He was still laying on his stomach, his breath not changing with her movements. Poppy took advantage of the moment to further take in his appearance. Much of the exposed skin she had seen before, but Tora had one leg on top of the blankets covering her bed in an attempt to regulate his temperature. She knew she hadn’t seen all of his tattoos, but finally getting a good look at what graced his long leg was no surprise to her.

His briefs weren’t short by any means, but the fact that his legs were more than half his height made them seem as such. Starting from inside of his briefs, she could see the body of a tiger prowling down the vast majority of his leg. Done in much of the same style as his sleeves, it was vibrant and life like, seeming to come out of his skin. Poppy cantered her body and placed a hand between his legs, leveraging herself to see how far around it went. The tiger and its background encompassed his entire leg down to his ankle and partially over his hip. If only she could figure out how high up it went between his thighs…

Not wanting to risk waking him up or getting caught staring, Poppy slowly slipped out of bed and left him sleeping, a peaceful look on his face hiding the turmoil he hides every day. His fatigue was so strong and weary the night before, he fell asleep quickly, the deep body twitches signaling the end of his body fighting to stay awake any longer.

After washing her face and brushing her teeth, Poppy headed to the kitchen, making her self a cup of coffee, a glance at the clock telling her it was only half past seven. As she watched the liquid gold pour into her cup from the machine, the thought of their previous conversation about the “property” issue cropped in her head. It was a word on repeat that hadn’t quite left since Goliath brought it up at the bar.

There was no question as to whether she wanted to be with Tora, but the idea of having the label of property on her wasn’t something she was too keen on. Despite its extremely old origin, she was curious to find out more about the culture of Tora’s world. She had no intentions of leaving him any time soon, so it would have to be an aspect she would have to be comfortable with. Running through random nights at the bar, Poppy did finally realize that there really were no constant women who showed up regularly. Many of the women who came to the bar came for a wild night of fun with men who lived on the outside of society. She had watched as many women wandered and rotated through multiple men in the club, including Tora – who rejected them all – and many, if not all, never came back. They got what they were looking for and left to go back to their normal lives.

Thinking more about it, there was really only one person she could talk to about all of this, even though it wasn’t a woman: Vincent. Tora had briefly mentioned that he was married once, now widowed. Vincent hadn’t shown any outward signs of not wanting to talk to her before, but Poppy would understand if this topic were to be brought up and he denied her information. Losing a loved one was one thing, but losing a partner, a spouse, someone who you vowed to spend the rest of your life with… that’s a level of pain she wouldn’t wish on anyone. It was too early to think about herself and Tora being in that situation, but thinking about losing him as a close friend made her heart ache.

_No reason to have thoughts like that right now._

Poppy finally brought herself out of her thoughts with a deep sigh, seeing the steam of her coffee had since diminished. Fixing her drink just the way she liked it, she settled herself on her couch, book in hand and a soft blanket thrown over her legs. She was going to be as quiet as possible to let Tora sleep as long as he needed to.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was almost ten before Tora came strolling out of the bedroom, looking every bit of a stray cat. All he bothered to put on were his jeans, his hair was an absolute mess on the top of his head, alluding to him throwing his hair in a bun while still half asleep and not catching all of his hair, his face still bearing a sleepy expression, and boy did he look cranky.

Poppy set her mug on her table in front of the couch and watched as he threw himself down. He raked his hands up and down his face a few times before he spoke.

“Don’t ever let me sleep that long ever again.”

“Why?” Tora’s voice was gravel, but still smooth. Poppy could feel a slow burn start in her lower stomach.

“I feel like shit. My body needed it, but now I have a raging headache.” He pinched his eyes closed as he laid his arm across them, blocking out the sunlight from the balcony.

“Would you like some coffee?”

“Got any green tea?”

Poppy nodded as she left from her couch and headed to the kitchen. She filled her kettle and began boiling the water on the stove, then grabbed a tea bag from her cabinet, setting it on her counter.

“Do you want to eat something?”

Tora flopped on his side, laying across the couch before he spoke with his face buried in the cushions, “Nah, I’m ok. I’ll eat later.”

“The food will help with your headache, and I don’t want to spend the next few hours with a hangry man.”

Poppy heard a muffled groan echo through her home before Tora’s voice came across clear.

“If you got any fruit, I’ll eat that.”

Poppy grabbed what fresh fruit she had from her fridge and cut it up, adding in a banana from the bushel on her counter top. As she was finishing, the kettle let out a low whistle, signaling the end of it’s boil. Through a form of autopilot, Poppy grabbed a mug and filled it, dipping the tea bag in and leaving the string to hang precariously on the side. She brought over the plate of food and his tea to her living room, setting it on her table.

Tora cracked open his eyes as he heard her walking from the kitchen. She looked so beautiful in the mid-morning sunlight. He waited as she placed his food and tea on her table before he wrapped his arms around her waist and hauled her back into his chest. Poppy let out a squeal as he dug his fingers into her side, tickling her till she screamed uncle.

Tora didn’t let her go, nuzzling his face into her hair, “Thanks for the food and tea sweetheart.”

“Well let me go, you thug, and maybe you’ll actually enjoy it.”

He begrudgingly let her go and reached for the now cooled off tea, downing half of it in less than three gulps. The fruit disappeared in less than ten minutes, including him polishing off the tea. Wordlessly, Poppy got up and fixed him another cup with the still hot water in the kettle as well as fixing herself another cup of coffee. Poppy returned with two fresh cups and put his tea directly in his hand.

“So, what are your plans for the day?” Poppy sipped her drink as she looked at him over the rim of her mug.

“Nothin really, just the gym before goin to the bar.”

“Ok,” Tora drank his tea as he watched her fumble for a few seconds. “So… I have a question.”

He didn’t bother responding, instead raising his eyebrows in a silent acknowledgement.

“It’s about the whole property thing. Do you think Vincent would be ok with talking to me about it? Not that your explanation wasn’t good enough, but you said he had some experience with it so…”

Tora looked at the nerves displayed on her face, not understanding why she felt so anxious to ask him or talk to him about it. “Yeah kid, I don’t see why he wouldn’t. You wanna ask him tonight?”

“If possible, that would be great.”

“Sure sweetheart, I’ll talk to him about it later.”

Poppy leaned over his lap and placed a kiss on his cheek in a silent thank you. Tora grasped her own cheek as she pulled away, staring in her eyes and seeing himself reflected back at him. An image he wasn’t familiar with was staring right back at him and a piece of him inside began to melt, bringing forth a side of him he hasn’t let be seen since he was a kid. A simple glance in her eyes put his raging thoughts at ease, just enough to let him breathe easier. It would be short lived before he stepped foot outside of her apartment, a place she had willingly opened to him, but it was enough for the demons to stop nipping at the back of heels.

Tora was back from his thoughts as Poppy lifted the screen of her laptop and searching for a movie. He watched as she focused on her task, noticing she bit her lip in concentration. _So cute._

Finally making her choice, she pressed play, hearing the opening song begin to play as the credits started to roll across the screen. Poppy arranged herself to be comfortable against the rock-hard man beside her, gathering the throw blanket from the arm of the couch behind her. A few minutes in, Tora complained about her not having a proper TV, Poppy telling her that she never minded not having one.

They were halfway through the movie when she heard a light snore from beside her. She turned and saw that Tora had fallen asleep with his head laid back. Glancing at the clock on her laptop, she saw it was about time she started getting ready for work. Carefully, she extricated herself from his arm and watched as he shifted to fill the empty space she left.

Padding her way to her bedroom, she set aside her clothes for the day before closing herself in the bathroom. She turned the shower to the hottest setting and watched as the steam quickly built up in her tiny bathroom.

Never in her wildest dreams would she have ever thought that a man like Tora would want to be with her. A quick look in the mirror would make things obvious. She was short, plump and the poster child for ‘average looks.’ Tora was the exact opposite – tall, dark and extremely handsome, to the point where it was almost obnoxious with how well he was blessed.

But he still chose her.

She had seen all types of women come through the bar, specifically looking for him. Taller than her, slender, more of his style – basically the opposite of her in every way.

He still turned them all down. He still wanted to be with her. It may have only been a week but he’s had her heart for a long time.

He may not remember, but she sure did.

Eventually she made it in the shower, taking her time and giving Tora as much sleep as possible. She didn’t peg him as the kind of guy to take mid-morning naps, but obviously he needed it. When she turned off the shower and began drying herself off, she heard her bedroom door close, figuring Tora had finally woken up. Poppy giggled, thinking that he may be in a better mood than he was when first came wandering out of her room.

It was here, when Poppy thought about it later, that time seemed to move a lot slower.

Poppy pulled the door open as she held the towel with one hand, seeing a figure who wasn’t her boyfriend standing in front of her. Dressed in all black with a ball cap pulled low over his eyes and a cut across his shoulders. A scream tore from her throat before she could react. She tried to slam the door closed, but the man had pushed his weight through before she got very far, knocking the door from her grip. Poppy stumbled on her clothes littering the floor, falling on her backside and losing her hold on her towel.

Tora heard the scream and ran through the bedroom. He caught sight of the man hovering over her, reaching for her legs. Without thought, he wrapped his arm beneath his and clasped his hands together, bringing the jackass’ shoulder into his own throat. Using his full body weight, he pulled him away from Poppy and into the hall.

“Poppy! Grab my pistol!”

Scrambling from the steam slick floor, Poppy rushed through her room and dumped his clothes on the floor, hearing a heavy thud reverberate through her floor. With shaky hands, she grabbed the gun and ran back into the living room.

Tora struggled with the guy who was trying to fight his way out of his hold. He was momentarily distracted when Poppy’s frame came around the corner, tears streaking down her face in a rapid river, desperately trying to keep the towel wrapped around her chest. The guy used the faltered moment to jab his elbow into Tora’s gut and weakening his hold on his arm and neck. He quickly turned around and connected his fist to his jaw, giving him enough time to catch his footing and bolt through the open door he had just picked the locks on.

Shaking off the pain from the hit, Tora snatched the gun from Poppy’s hand and ran after him. Not caring about who could see her, Poppy ran to her balcony, hoping to catch a view of the guy. As she reached her railing, Tora slammed through the side door. They both watched as a blacked-out van peeled down the street. She tried so hard, squinting her eyes as she watched, but she didn’t see a license plate on the van.

Tora huffed, his breathing heavy, as he screamed ‘fuck’ so loud, the birds flew off from the tree to the side of him. Pistol in hand, he shoved both fists to his head as he thought about everything that had just happened. How Poppy was just in danger. How he almost lost her so quickly.

Taking a few seconds to breathe and control his clearly visible rage, he turned and made his way back inside, shoving his pistol in his jeans. He didn’t want to scare her neighbors any more than they probably already were.

By the time he made it inside her apartment, Poppy was dressed and sitting on her couch. He was already making plans before he closed her door. He tossed the pointless locks and walked straight to her room and began getting dressed. Once his cut was on, he grabbed his cellphone and ripped the charging cord from it. He was in the middle of dialing when he saw Poppy hover by her doorway.

He stretched a hand out to her, beckoning her to him, as he spoke in to the phone. She laced her fingers with his as the phone was answered.

“Boss, we have a problem. Somebody just broke in to Poppy’s apartment. I think they were trying to take her. No, she’s fine. Uh, yeah, I’m fine too. It’s another club, but I didn’t get a good look at the patch. Yeah. Ok. Ok. I’ll be there soon.”

He tossed his phone on the bed and wrapped both arms around her. Grounding himself and trying desperately to still his thoughts as he hugged her tight. Her body was nothing but vibrations, but at least she had stopped crying. It was her tears that shredded his heart, made him lose focus, caused him to falter.

_Never again._

After a few minutes, he loosened his hold and leaned back, clutching her face within his hands. He took inventory of her body and didn’t see any marks on her.

Poppy gave him a few seconds before she ventured a question.

“Tora, what happened?”

He stared in her eyes, willing her to see how desperate he felt at that very moment.

“I woke up and came in here to get dressed. I heard you were in the shower so I was just gonna wait for you in here. He must have been picking the lock as I walked back here. I swear I wasn’t in here for long before I… before I heard you scream,” Tora could feel the tears begin to prick behind his eyes as his throat threatened to close up. He took a deep breath before he continued. “Bobby, if they know where ya live, that’s big fuckin problem. I’m sorry sweetheart, but ya can’t stay here.”

Poppy struggled to keep up with all he was saying. She felt like she was drowning, fighting to stay afloat in the mess of the morning. “Where am I supposed to go?”

“You’re coming with me. Pack a bag for a few nights. We’ll come back later for more of your stuff.”

A carefully carved and set world that she had set up for herself was slowly starting to crumble at her feet. Less than half an hour ago, she was smiling in her shower, thinking about the man she called her boyfriend sleeping on her couch. Now she was uprooting everything because someone wanted to hurt her, for whatever reason.

Poppy robotically packed an old gym bag with a few days’ worth of clothes and her toiletries. She packed her laptop and charger in its own bag and made sure to grab her cell phone charger. Once she felt she had everything she could need, she walked back to her bedroom, finding Tora’s fingers flying over his screen.

She walked up to him and placed her bag beside his feet. He stopped texting and dropped his phone to the floor, pulling her between his legs. Poppy could see that he was rattled, to say the least, but she had never seen him so flustered. Wrapping one arm around her legs and the other around her waist, he shoved his face in her stomach. Not knowing what to do besides stand there, Poppy placed a hand on his head, smoothing his hair back in a steady rhythm, lightly scratching his scalp every few passes. They stayed in silence for few minutes before Tora spoke.

“Poppylan, I’m so fucking sorry.”

She stopped stroking his head and pulled his hair, forcing him to look up at her from her low-slung mattress.

“None of what just happened is your fault. I don’t want your apologies for something that was out of your control.”

“But I coulda been there quicker. Or I coulda actually caught the fucker.”

“There’s a lot of variables baby, none of which you could have controlled. The most important thing is that neither one of us got hurt.”

Tora dropped his head back down, feeling inadequate. He dreaded the thoughts that he knew would plague him for the foreseeable future. He just hoped that this wasn’t something she held against him in the long run.

Tora finally stood and gathered her bags, leading her by the hand down to her car and making sure to lock her now useless locks. She may not be staying there for the time being, but there was no reason to have her life and belongings riffled through if he could help it.

After tossing her bag in her trunk, he opened her car door, but she stopped before dropping into her seat.

“So, what’s the plan for now?”

Her worried look crushed Tora’s heart. He sighed as he leaned on the hood of her car. “Ya go to work like normal. After work, I’ll bring ya to my place; at some point Vincent is gonna wanna talk to us, but I told him ya would pick the time.”

Poppy quickly ran through her schedule in her head, a pinched look crossing her face, “Tomorrow morning or afternoon would be best.”

“I’ll let him know.” Tora leaned down and placed a simple, chaste kiss on her lips; riddled with fear, anxiety, worry and anger, it made him feel less than.

“What are you going to do?”

“Talk to Ronzo and Vincent. This whole situation is a fuckin problem that’s gotta get handled now. I’ll shoot ya a text if I find out anything, ok?”

Nodding her head emphatically, she stretched up and kissed him again before settling herself in her car. She watched as he got ready to leave, thinking to herself how quickly things had gone downhill this morning. They started out doing normal “couple” things: being lazy, eating, watching movies before their days started, then… utter chaos. That’s the only way to describe it. She refused to give the events more thought than she had to, shoving them away until she had to explain everything to Vincent. As she drove to work, following behind Tora’s bike, her heart never left its new spot in her throat. Everything left her feeling violated, scared of a specter, and wishing she knew what was going on and with whom.

As she pulled into the parking lot behind the bar, Tora had already dismounted and was walking up to her car while pulling his helmet off. As she was gathering her things, Tora had opened her door and began talking, waiting for her to collect her stuff.

“Sweetheart, things are gonna be really uncomfortable for a while. What I need you to do is only for your safety. I’m beggin’ ya, please don’t fight me too much on it,” Poppy nodded her head. “While you’re here, don’t leave. There’s already someone here to watch over you until we get here later tonight. Don’t go nowhere with anybody, even Dene. Keep your cell phone in ya pocket. Anything happens, just send me the letter ‘h’ or call me and don’t speak. I know you just got your car back, but we’re gonna have to stash it at the shop. It’s a bright color and everyone knows it. You’ll be riding with either me or one of the guys to and from work. You’re gonna have to stay with me for a little bit too. I know it’s not ideal Bobby, but I need you to work with me. Please.”

Tora had a frantic look in his eyes, probably a feeling he had never had to experience or deal with, and Poppy couldn’t help but worry about his state of mind. He had enough to take care of, and she didn’t want to be an added concern to his already full plate. She reached up and placed her hands on his face, caressing his cheekbones in an effort to help soothe the worry lines.

“I’ll be fine Tiger, I promise. I’ll listen to whatever you tell me, just don’t keep me in the dark.”

Tora looked up and he took a deep breath and exhaled over her head. He bent down, crushing her in his arms and kissing her, physically showing his appreciation for her compliance. Reluctantly, he let her go and composed himself.

“I gotta go kid, I’ll see ya in a few hours.”

“Ok, ride safe.”

“Of course.”

She kissed him one last time before she grabbed her purse and walked in the bar. She heard his motorcycle turn on as she closed the door behind her, mentally preparing herself for the uncertainty of the next few days.


	16. Joy of My Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment we've all been waiting for nd the longest chapter to date for this story clocking in at just over 8200 words and 13 pages.
> 
> It took me so long to get this right. I was talking to a few of you on here in the comments about how much I wanted to get this moment right. Shoutout to CopyPastel for vibing with me on accuracy of shit like this and also the fuckin CRINGE while writing it. Idk how some of the pros do it on here. (Also, go read Staggering Forward btw, that shit is fuckin phenomenal.) I re-wrote this chapter 4 times. No shit. I needed to get this right, not only for me and my writing, but for y'all as well. I may have struggled with this entire chapter, but this is by far my favorite chapter yet. Not gonna lie either, got super emotional writing it for some weird reason. Probably because the boyfriend is finally moving up to live with me again after a year-long long distance-ish relationship and I'm fuckin excited. Besides the point lol. We still got a ways to go in the storyline, but we're makin some headway.
> 
> If you are NOT comfortable with reading sex scenes, I have marked it within the chapter where the scene begins with a few "+" signs. If you don't read it, you won't be missing out on anything important for the rest of the story, and you won't hurt my feelings. I know some people just can't handle shit like that. And that's more than ok.
> 
> Name of the chapter is specific and meaningful to me. This is one of the only two songs my boyfriend will dance to with me. It just happened to play right when I started writing "the scene" as the boyfriend calls it lol. And it fuckin fit perfectly for Poppy and Tora. I suggest listening to it while you read it if you can. If not, maybe look up the lyrics afterwards. Perfection.
> 
> Song: Joy Of My Life by Chris Stapleton
> 
> Y'all know the drill, don't play me. Holla at ya girl if you read some weird shit.
> 
> As always, these characters belong to Lilydusk, I just like to give them moments of peace every now and then... won't last long though.
> 
> P.S. From here on out, some "main" characters won't fit to canon personalities, hope y'all don't mind.
> 
> P.P.S. I love y'all.

_Friday night…_

Tension was the theme for the night at the bar. There was the usual ruckus, nothing new in the decibel level of men yelling over one another about a game of pool or darts. But there was a definite underlying vibration of anger and discontent. Many of the guys in the club had gravitated towards Poppy at some point during the night, expressing their concerns for her, telling her that they were all ready and willing to help her and the club catch the guy that had dared to put her in harms’ way. Poppy welcomed the heartfelt sentiments, but was only placated temporarily, their concerns doing nothing to quell her worries of the future. Who knew what the future would look like for her?

Overhearing conversations over the course of the night, nothing about the man who broke in could be detailed except for the color of his patch and a few vague traits. Poppy was distracted all night, racking her brain and running herself ragged trying to think of any possible detail she could have missed, something to be of some kind of help rather than a burden to everyone. Deep down, she knew she would be of no use; by the time she had made it back from her bedroom with Tora’s gun, the guy was already struggling to get away, twisting him and Tora in a direction that obscured his face. All she could say with confidence was that the man was smaller than Tora, much like everyone else when compared to him.

When Vincent came in, he made his first stop to see Poppy. Enveloping her in a hug, he declared that he was making it his sole priority to find him, make him pay for scaring her, and help to right her life back to normal.

_Normal._

As someone who was now on the inside looking out, there was no such thing as “normal” when living and working around people like those in the MC. Words and phrases that would scare someone else didn’t register with Poppy anymore, sometimes even making her laugh. Personalities, attitudes and appearances that would make people blush or rush across to the other side of the street now either made Poppy smile, laugh, or blush… for other reasons. These people, men who told her how much they cared for her in such different ways than she was used to, they were her family.

This _was_ her new normal.

There were definitely still some things she wasn’t comfortable with, like the ever-present “property” ordeal that’s been haunting her for days. Or how some of the men treated and talked about other women and men. She couldn’t do anything about it though, as none of it was directed or aimed towards her, or Erdene. Poppy had to think that maybe they didn’t see them as they did other women who came flitting through the bar, and for that, she was grateful.

Throughout the night, other men began showing up, brandishing the patch of the MC’s sister chapter. Eventually, Goliath had made his appearance, first walking up to his brother and having a hushed conversation before coming to Poppy. Much like everyone else had said, he offered the help of his chapter on behalf of him and his president that wasn’t there.

Erdene, the best friend Poppy could ask for, had given her the option to stay at her place for the time being if she wanted to. If it weren’t for the potential of putting Erdene in danger, Poppy would have taken the opportunity to stay with her, surround herself with familiarity, but she couldn’t bear to do that to her best friend. When explaining herself, Erdene reminded her that she had to do everything she could to keep herself safe, so be it if it meant she stayed with Tora for extra protection.

Her entire shift was slow, Poppy feeling as if she was dragging her body through molasses. Tired from the rush of adrenaline and emotions that were finally catching up to her, it making her forgetful, messing up simple drink orders, and getting tables wrong. Luckily, nobody seemed upset with her for rookie mistakes, just gently reminding her of what they had actually ordered.

Shortly before closing, Tora had asked for her keys and informed Poppy that her car was being moved to the shop’s storage. He had made the conscious effort to grab her bags from her car before it was locked up, but once closing was done, she would be riding home with him.

Closing the bar had never happened so fast and orderly. With the current situation and its corresponding tensions, none of the patrons wanted to be around it anymore, quickly filing through the door and spilling out into the town to continue with their activities shrouded in darkness. Once the crew was ready to leave, Poppy followed behind everyone to the parking lot, finding Tora, along with Gyu, Quincey and Scharch waiting in the corner closest to the door. As Poppy headed towards the group, she felt a hand land on her shoulder, turning to find Gil behind her.

“Hey, I know things are tough right now, but I need you to take care of yourself first. Don’t worry about tomorrow’s shift, we got a new guy coming in anyways. I’ll text you and let you know when you can come back. Vincent and I talked about it all, so you’ll still be paid for what shifts I had you scheduled for and then some, but we’ll be fine.”

Poppy couldn’t form the words of appreciation she wanted to express to her boss. Instead, she laid her own hand atop his and gave it a quick gentle squeeze. Gil turned back to lock the door as she continued her course to Tora. He already had her helmet out and waiting for her as she walked up, taking it from his hands as he leaned down to place a kiss on her cheek.

“Why are the guys waiting with you?” Poppy looked to all of the boys, seeing the rigid set of shoulders and indifferent faces among the men she had come to call her friends.

“It’s just a precaution. We don’t know why that guy was after ya, so the boys are gonna ride with us for a while. Scharch and I live above the shop, but Gyu and Quincey stay a few blocks away.”

Tora glanced at them, seeing his brother and his best friend help him in ways he knew they would. Scharch was new to his close group, but the help he had given over the last few weeks, and lending himself to the disposal of Tora, meant something in spite of their past.

Poppy quickly expressed to them how thankful she was, receiving heartfelt sentiments of her being their top priority in return.

Wanting to finally end the night, Poppy tossed on the helmet and clambered on the back of Tora’s bike, noticing that her confidence had grown, no longer needing his help to situate herself.

As they rode to Tora’s apartment, Poppy ran through a list of possible questions that she wanted answers to, in regards to both situations that were currently plaguing her thoughts on a regular, wondering and hoping that they would be answered tomorrow. Now whether they be answered by Vincent, or even Tora, remained to be seen. There was a strong chance that none of her questions would be answered, and if they were, the answers would be vague.

Talking about the loss of a loved one was hard, she would know, and she didn’t expect Vincent to be very forthcoming with information in that department. It was understandable; it took her years to talk about her father without bursting into a fountain of tears. Her father meant the world to her, and losing him at such a young age was life altering. Besides her grandmother, he was the only constant she had growing up. With her mother’s disappearance, her father had to play both roles while raising a little girl. At the same time, she wasn’t raised as a child, but rather treated as an adult from a very young age. Her childhood was nothing to complain about, but she had to give her father thanks, and props, for making her life better in the long run. Yeah, she lost him at a young and vulnerable age, but all of the wisdom he left her with made her who she was today.

As Tora guided them closer to his apartment, Gyu and Quincey branched off, throwing a brief deuce beside their legs, a sign of them saying goodnight as they continued on to their own homes. Scharch and Tora pulled off and into the back of the shop, pulling into a huge garage offset from the rest of the building. Poppy saw multiple other bikes also stored for the night, realizing this was where everyone parked, keeping the bikes out and away from the elements.

Scharch quickly dismounted his bike before telling them goodnight, a brisk walk taking him to his own place and leaving them in a deafening silence. Without the wind rushing by and the rumble of the engine, the world was bathed in a peaceful quiet, only disrupted by the clicking of the motorcycles that were just shut down, the crickets out in the tree line, and the rustling of clothes as Tora returned their helmets to their rightful places.

Poppy watched as her boyfriend stood and faced the trees lining behind the shop’s garage, lost in his own thoughts and worries. Tora had been running on adrenaline fumes all night, but now that Poppy was safe beside him, in one piece, he was beginning to crash. The residual anger was making its presence known, making him twitch, fingers reaching and itching for the pack that was shoved deep in the recesses of his pocket.

As he lit one up, he took a deep drag, holding it in till the burn of nicotine and harsh chemical additives made him feel a little more grounded. Releasing the smoke loudly through his nose, he propped a hand on his hip and pinched the bridge of his nose with the hand holding his cigarette, smelling the buildup of ash at the end. He was startled when he felt a pair of thin arms wrap around him.

He switched his half-burnt cigarette to his other hand, quickly inhaling enough to finally put it out and wrapped his arm over her shoulders, blowing the smoke away from her before peering down at her face. She looked as if the world was crumbling at her feet, fighting to stay afloat as pieces of her life were slowly shattering. He was grasping and reaching for pieces as they fell, hoping to put them back together for her, and he was failing.

_I’m a fuckin failure._

Poppy watched on as she saw his emotions flutter across his face, stopping on the one emotion she never wanted to see on his handsome face: dejection.

She squeezed him tighter, “Everything is going to be ok.”

“I fuckin hope so sweetheart, but we won’t know till we get this asshole,” Tora brushed a strand of hair that escaped her braid behind her ear, encircling his hand at the base of her neck. He pressed his thumb into the pulse point he could see beneath her skin, forcing himself to count each beat as he wrangled the threat of emotions sitting in his throat.

Poppy could see the worry lines around eyes as he searched her face for a crack in her façade. She would do anything to help alleviate his stress, lessen the burden that she had inevitably created.

The two stood wrapped in one another and cloaked in silence for a few more minutes before Tora heaved a sigh from deep in his chest. He traded his arm for grasping her hand within his own, pulling her into a doorway to head up to his apartment. Up a set of stairs and through another door at the top, Poppy was led to a short hallway that she recognized, not getting a chance to orient herself before Tora opened yet another door that revealed the hallway that housed the doors to the apartments.

As Tora ushered her inside, Poppy took the chance to finally look around his place and see what she couldn’t before as they removed their shoes. And what she saw made her feel downhearted as she removed her shoes by the door.

Tora was nothing if not a utilitarian and a minimalist. His home was bare, cold, and desolate. There were no personal touches haphazardly placed in random spots, no art on the walls, no plants to bring life, no random clothes or shoes strewn around; it looked like the place was unlived in. Sterile. Hell, there were no windows! The only clues that someone lived here on a regular basis were the TV, gaming console, a few empty bottles and an ash tray on his coffee table, and a guitar posted up in the corner of the living room.

Tora walked through to his kitchen, snatching a bottle of the juice she stared buying for him from his fridge. “Ya bag is in the bedroom through the door on the left. Bathroom is on the right. Make ya’self at home kid.” He threw his body into his couch as she continued to stand at the edge of his living room. Sensing that he didn’t want to talk at the moment, Poppy approached the door that he had labeled as his bedroom.

It was exactly as he said, both of her bags waiting at the edge of his bed. She slowly unpacked as she took in the contents of his personal space. The bed was made, as if it was hardly slept in, even with it being a king size and looking very comfortable. His closet was dark, but with a deeper look, majority of his clothes were dark too, blending in with their background. The dresser was empty and barren of trinkets that showed who he was.

Once she had her clothes set aside on the bed, she slowly crept to the bathroom with her toiletries in hand, looking to find Tora in the same position she had left him in only with his eyes now closed. The bathroom itself was the same as the rest of the house, clean and tidy with no personal touch. The typical thirty-in-one body wash in the shower, a razor, toothbrush and toothpaste on the sink, but that was it. Positive note: he’s not a slob.

At a quick glance, she didn’t see where he kept the spare towels. Poppy peeked her head out the door and asked, “Babe, where are your towels?”

Distractedly, Tora told her they were in the hall closet right next to her. Turning her body, Poppy opened the door to her right as she called out a thanks, freezing upon seeing what was inside. Loud footsteps thumped behind her, feeling Tora stop behind her as she continued to stare inside the closet.

“Bobby, I’m sorry, I spaced on me keepin’ them in there. I didn’t mean to scare ya.”

There were multiple firearms leaning against the back wall of the closet. In the back corner, there was a smaller safe, more than likely housing his smaller ones, similar to the one he carried regularly. Poppy wasn’t stupid, she knew he did things that she didn’t want details on, but seeing this made it all the more real for her. Tora was known for being dangerous. All of the guys had said something about it in passing throughout the months that she had been back in Moonbright. Until now, it had never been forcefully put in her face just how dangerous he _really_ was.

_“You need to be ready to accept him fully. There is no dark side without a light side.”_

Erdene’s words rang through Poppy’s head as she looked back at Tora over her shoulder. The resounding fear in his posture made it easier for her to talk, feeling that she could confidently say that he would never hurt her.

“It’s ok, I’ll just grab the towel and go shower.” Tora stretched over her and grabbed a towel of the top shelf that she wouldn’t have been able to reach by herself.

Taking it from his hands, she walked back into the bathroom, making it a point to leave the door unlocked as a form of reassurance to let him know that she still trusted him, wholeheartedly. Poppy took her time getting undressed after she turned on the water. Stepping in the shower stall, the steam had already built up. Soap residue from Tora’s previous showers loosened along the walls, releasing the scent that she had grown to connect with him and love. Being surrounded in him helped her further relax after such an eventful day and stressful night. Methodically, she went through her shower routine, cleansing the grime of the day off her body and washing her hair with her favorite products. By the time she stepped out to dry off, she felt refreshed, awake and in a better mood, brushing her teeth as fast as possible before stepping out of the bathroom.

Tora had just taken his shirt off and unbuttoned his jeans when he heard the door open, watching his voluptuous girlfriend come out of the steam filled bathroom. She looked even more curvaceous in the smaller towels he kept, her hands struggling to keep the towel closed around her bust with droplets of water from her hair disappearing beneath the cloth; the fabric that was taunting him and his resolve. He was panicking at the thought of her sleeping in his place. He had never called it a home. It wasn’t meant to be a long-term spot. Compared to her place, this was a prison cell. He had hoped to find her another place to stay, but nothing was safer than with him; Tora wouldn’t chance her safety for the convenience of amenities.

As she came closer, the scent of her strawberry body wash and vanilla shampoo steadily filled his bedroom. Just the thought of her naked underneath the towel was enough to make him hard, but her scent was making it harder for him to keep himself checked. He needed to leave before he crossed a line he couldn’t return from.

“I’ll leave so ya can change.”

Before Poppy could respond, he brushed past her and pulled the bedroom door closed behind him. She sighed to herself, seeing that he still in his mood, understandably so. Poppy dressed in the clothes she had set aside, towel drying her hair to speed up the dry time. She placed the towel back in the bathroom, threading it through the towel rack next to the shower. Tora was laying on the couch with his arm thrown over his eyes when Poppy left the bathroom. Padding over to the couch, walking quietly in case he was asleep, she gently laid her hand on his forearm. She watched as he slowly ran his hand past and up chest, lacing his fingers with hers.

“You ready for bed tiger?”

“Fuck yeah,” he let out a jaw cracking yawn. Poppy wrapped her other hand around his wrist and attempted to pull him from his lounged position. Tora couldn’t help but laugh at the comical of display of strength as she put her body weight behind her attempt.

Poppy heard the deep bass of his chuckle, making her feel a bit better about their current situation. If she could make him laugh, even if it was just a little, then she knew he would be ok. _They_ would be ok. After everything today, they needed some kind of… release.

After finally giving up on trying the pull the giant man away, Tora hoisted himself up and leaned over her to drop some of his weight against her back, acting as if _she_ was going to _him_ a piggyback ride.

“Excuse me, what is this?”

“Sweetheart, I’m soooo tired. Carry me to bed yeah?”

Poppy giggled as she felt more weight compress her short stature. For added effect, Tora wrapped his thick arms around her shoulders and locked them in front of her chest as he attempted to wrap one leg around her hips.

“Unless you want to break me in half, I suggest you walk yourself mister.”

Tora let out an overly dramatic sigh, comparable to Quincey’s antics, “Fine, I guess ya can carry me some other day.”

Shaking her head and giggling to herself, Poppy followed behind him into the bedroom. She wasted no time in picking what would now be her side as Tora finished getting undressed. Tora could feel her stare as he stripped down to his black briefs. Of all the stares he had felt since he was young, hers was the most comforting and the most wanted. No matter the meaning behind her stare, her eyes never carried a shady intent, only love.

Poppy was snuggling deeper into his comforter when she caught the scent of something fruity. She paused, feeling her heartbeat spike, thinking the worse. She rolled to the other side of the bed and smelled the same fragrance. It was on both pillows too.

“Why’re ya sniffin the fuck outta my sheets?”

Poppy paused as she was beginning to flip one of the pillows over. “Uhm, well your uh… the sheets.”

Tora raised his eyebrows in confusion, “What about em?”

“Well, they, they s-smell like…”

“Smell like what kid?”

She blushed as she realized how ridiculous she sounded. From the way he talked around her, and how much he said he cared for her, there was no way he would do something like that to her. But she had to ask. She refused to fall in the same trap twice.

“Your sheets smell like a woman.”

Tora stared at her for a solid thirty seconds, blinking every now and then, before he busted into laughter. He laughed so hard he had tears streaming down his face. As he was trying to catch his breath bent at the waist, he peeked up to find Poppy glaring at him, igniting another laughing fit.

Poppy felt a blush flare across her cheeks as she watched him lose his breath again from his laughter. She had no idea what he thought was so funny, but it was starting to irritate her.

“What is so damn funny to you?”

Tora was wiping his eyes as he said, “Sweetheart. Damn, I haven’t laughed like that in a long ass time, shit,” he straightened his body, standing to full height before he continued. “Bobby, why would I bring you to my place, put you in my bed, with it smelling like another women?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.”

Poppy had a stern look on her face, asserting herself to make sure he knew to take her seriously. “Bobby, I know how to wash my own shit. It smells fruity right?”

Poppy grabbed a pillow and took a deep breath of the scent that was imbedded in the threads, nodding in agreement to his statement.

“It’s my detergent.”

The blush that was once on her cheeks returned in full force. She buried her face in the pillow, trying to hide as much of her face in the light of her embarrassment. She felt a wave of shame overcome her as she thought about what she was trying to accuse him of.

“Ya fuckin feisty Bobby, but trust me when I say there’s never been another woman here besides you.” Poppy nodded her head and pulled the comforter over her head, trying to make her body into a small nugget within the blankets of shame.

There was a drop in the mattress, causing Poppy to tumble onto her side. She didn’t bother trying to right herself as she felt Tora try to peel away the blankets. After several attempts at unraveling her safety net, he gave up and wrapped his arms around the ball of fluff and pulled it closer to him as he laid down.

“Don’t be embarrassed sweetheart, I quite like the look on ya face when you get jealous.”

Poppy could hear the smirk in his voice. He was right though, she was jealous of an imaginary woman, thinking that she had dug her claws in him before she even had the chance to think about it.

“Poppy, can you come out now?”

Hesitantly, she lifted the corner tucked in her fist. Peering around the edge, she saw Tora looking down at her, love and affection glinting in his amber eyes as he leaned on his elbow.

“C’mere.”

She unraveled the blankets further and climbed into his open arms. He situated them both, placing her head on his shoulder as he tossed his other arm over her waist. There was a comfortable silence that overtook the room, and after a few minutes, Poppy thought Tora might have fallen asleep until he spoke.

“Poppy, I’m so fuckin sorry.”

Confusion marred her face as she turned her face to look at him. His eyes were closed but the rest of his face was contorted in distress and agitation.

“I’m sorry about everything today.”

“Why are you apologizing? None of it was your fault.” She traced her fingers across his forehead in hopes of easing the lines that were digging themselves in.

“We don’t know that. No matter how ya look at it, I’m tied to it in some way.”

Poppy rolled over and laid her hands on his bare chest, the heat of his skin blending with hers as she propped her chin on her fingers. “That’s ridiculous and you know it. So why don’t you tell me what’s really bothering you?”

He didn’t respond. She felt like this was one of those times where she had to be cognizant of how far she pushed. “If it’s not something you want to talk about yet, I’ll drop it.”

Tora tightened his grip on her waist. He knew the answer to her question, but voicing his fears made them real, gave them life; it gave them a chance to take over _his_ life.

But he owed this to her. He looked in her eyes. Thinking she deserved so much fuckin better than what he could give her. His life was nothing to boast about and he had nothing but blood, scars and demons to show for it. He could offer her the world and get her the moon for fuck’s sake… it still wouldn’t be enough. But an answer was the least he could give her. When he spoke, it was barely over a whisper.

“I was so tired, I almost slept through him coming in. If I didn’t wake up when I did, I don’t know if I woulda heard him. Ya coulda gotten hurt, or god forbid something worse. I would have never forgiven myself,” He paused as he felt the sting of tears try to tear their way through his throat. “Do ya remember what I told ya back at your place when I was explaining the whole property thing?” Poppy slowly shook, never breaking eye contact with him.

“I told you that you would never have a say when it came to your safety, because that’s my top priority; and I meant that. Today was a good fuckin example. Even with me sitting here being a bitch about it, running through all the ‘what if’s’, you handled this shit like a pro. I have no doubt you were scared,” Tora began quickly blinking as the frustrated tears were threatening to breach the confines of his eyes. “But whatever I told you to do, you did it, without question. I appreciate you so much for that. But I also know I might have seemed overbearing and pushy, and I’m sorry for that too. I just had to make sure you were safe.”

Poppy said nothing as she took in everything he told her. This man was so strong, but he was giving her praises in one of the scariest moments of her life. She leaned forward, kissing him long and softly, pouring her feelings into a simple act of appreciation.

“I get it babe, I really do, but I don’t blame you for anything. I can’t; if anybody handled this shit show of a day like a pro, it was you. Whatever may still be bothering you, we’ll work through it _together_. I’m safe, you’re safe, and we’re _together_. For now, it’s over and we’ll deal with the rest when the sun comes up… _together_.”

Tora admired the strength of this tiny woman was. In the face of danger, she was still composed as ever, going so far as to comfort him.

He softly traced his fingers over cheeks, “What the fuck did I do to deserve you?”

Poppy didn’t have an answer, but she felt the same way when it came to him. As much as he would do to keep her safe, she would do the same for him, even go so far as to give her life for his if it ever came to that. It was an extreme, but so was how much she loved him.

_He’s it for me._

_+++++_

Tora watched as the light in her eyes changed from love and adoration to something deeper with heat behind it. If possible, he could’ve sworn her eyes grew darker as they landed on his lips. The temperature in the room grew warmer as he felt her delicate fingers clench on his chest. His hands itched to slide into the hair that was flowing around her shoulders. He knew what he wanted, so did the rest of his body, but he wouldn’t move until she did.

Poppy couldn’t wait anymore. She was desperate to end her night on a high note, and this was how she wanted to do it. Moving up a few inches, she placed her lips against his. Her nerves were running rampant in her stomach, vibrating her body as she moved her hands from his chest to his shoulders to pull herself further up his body.

Tora was done fighting himself, spearing his fingers in her hair at the top of her neck. He tentatively traced his tongue along the seam of her lips, hoping to get closer to her than ever before. On a gasp, she parted her lips and tangled her tongue with his. He could still taste the mint of her toothpaste as he memorized every crevice of her mouth. Placing his other hand on the small of her back, he pulled her body atop his, making her more comfortable.

Poppy was anxious, having done this one other time before. When Tora pulled her on top of him, feeling all of him beneath her, she couldn’t help the wetness that had suddenly pooled between her legs.

Tora pulled back, trying to catch his breath as he looked her in the eyes, searching for a flicker of doubt to tell him to stop. Seeing his own lust returned made him take the hand from her hair and drag it slowly down her back, catching the curve of her lower back that led to the swell of her ass. Seeing nothing in her face change, Tora felt a chord snap in his chest.

The placement of his hand made Poppy clench her thighs over Tora’s hips. Feeling a streak of brazen confidence, she sat up, feeling his hardened dick nestle between her cheeks as she crossed her arms to pull off her shirt.

Tora laid there as he watched her pull the fabric from her face. In the low light of the bedside lamp, he could see the flush spread like wild fire down her chest. _Jesus fuck, her tits._ He had no words for how beautiful she was. Porcelain skin with rose pink nipples, aching to licked as they hardened in the cool air of the room. He had probably been staring for too long when she began to cover herself back up.

“Don’t, please… just, just lemme look at you.” He grabbed her arms but didn’t pull them away. He waited for her to drop them on her own. When she finally did, he slowly sat up, placing his hands on her hips while hers slid up to his shoulders, pushing her back and down onto his aching erection.

Poppy moaned softly at the feeling of Tora’s dick hitting a sensitive spot between her legs. She watched as he brought his face to her neck, placing the softest of kisses along the column of her throat, blazing a trail of sparks in the wake of lips creating a path down over her collarbones and chest. Her breath caught as he finally pressed the flat of his tongue on her hard nipple. His hand had wandered to other, giving it the attention it was so desperately seeking, fitting in his hand perfectly.

Poppy’s skin was so soft, and the taste of her was the best thing he ever had. He would spend the rest of his night buried in her chest if he could, but it was when she let out a gasp and ground her hips into his own that his brain short circuited. Tora brought his head up from her chest briefly to switch his tongue to her other breast when he caught sight of her; head tossed back with the tips of her long hair brushing his thighs, the feel of her nails biting into his skin. The mixture of pain and pleasure was enough to make his breath come in a bit shallower. A finger from the hand on her hip began tracing the edge of her panties that was tucked in the juncture of her thigh. He had been trying to ignore it, but the heat combined with the wetness from her pussy that he could feel through his briefs had him salivating, dying to finally get a taste of what he could smell; and he was done waiting.

He released the taut nipple that was currently receiving his undivided attention to say, “Can I take these off?”

Poppy’s brain was mush. There were no words forming in her head, let alone coming out of her mouth. It was all she could do to simply nod her head.

With the strength she had come to love, he flipped them around, placing her back against the matters with his weight pushing her even further. He swept a line of kisses from her lips, down her neck and chest, stopping briefly to take each nipple between his lips, slow open-mouthed kisses and licks across her belly. He stopped at her hips, looking up at her through his lashes, waiting for her to tell him one last time that this was what she wanted.

With a simple nod from her, Tora hooked his fingers, dragging the cotton down slowly. His eyes roamed every inch of new skin that was revealed, savoring the view for what it was worth. He had finally reached her knees when she pulled her leg to her chest, letting her pull them completely off past her dainty feet. He watched in wonder as she straightened them in front of him, letting her legs drop in a v-formation in slow motion, making him feel like time had come to a stand still just for them. She planted her small feet beside his knees, showing off what had been hidden between her ample thighs. Her mound was bare and glistened before him. He knew his mouth had dropped open, but he couldn’t bring himself to close it.

“Do that shit with your legs again, and I’ll bust quicker than ya say can ya name.”

Poppy was giggling, but stopped short when her thighs were pushed further apart to make room for his broad shoulders. Looking down at him, he very much resembled the painting she made for him. The color of his eyes alone sent shivers down her spine. With his face so close, she could feel every breath he took, feeling the air cool the moisture she had created. Tora continuously stared in her eyes as he dragged his tongue from her very center to the nub that was aching for attention.

Her eyes rolled back as her head dropped to the pillow. Tora chest expanded with pride as he watched her writhe in passion. One of her delicate hands was clutching at the sheets while the other cradled the back of his head. When her nails scratched at his scalp as she tugged at his hair, he tried to shove his face deeper in her folds, his tongue and lips lapping at any and all available sensitive skin. His hand gripped one thigh, trying to keep her from lifting off of the bed, as a finger from the other circled her entrance. His tongue continued its ministrations as he slowly slid a finger inside, feeling her warmth surround the thick digit. She was incredibly tight around his finger, his dick throbbed in his briefs as he thought about how she would feel around him.

Painstakingly slow, Tora slid his finger in and out, sparking a slow burn that began in her stomach. She knew the feeling well, but with him it brought on a new meaning. This was what she felt alone, but it was only the beginning with him. Briefly, his finger disappeared and Poppy couldn’t stop the whine as it left her. The emptiness was soon replaced with two digits, filling her more than she was expecting. As he curled fingers, touching that hidden spot, she reflexively closed her thighs and gripped harder on his head.

Tora knew she was close, her walls clenching harder and harder around his fingers. He focused his mouth on her clit as he slid his fingers back and forth faster against her g-spot. Her thighs began to quiver, and he knew she finally came when her back arched beautifully off the bed, pushing her breasts into the air; her moans had gone quiet, her hips bucking over his face as she rode her waves of pleasure. He didn’t pull his fingers or his mouth away until her walls had released him.

Poppy was catching her breath when she felt the absence of Tora from between her shivering legs. She cracked an eye open just in time to see him lick his lips clean with a predatory gleam in his eyes before he sucked on the fingers that had just been inside of her. Never had she ever thought to think of what she might taste like, but looking at the delirious look on his face made her envious. She decided to be bold and threw his words back at him.

“Clean your fingers like that again, and I’ll bust quicker than you can say your name.”

Tora couldn’t stop the shock on his face even if he tried. Her words, mirroring his own, made his dick jump. He didn’t think she would be so confident, but he felt fuckin stupid for thinking that. Of course she would be confident, that’s just who she was. She sat up so fast Tora had to fall back on his heels to avoid bumping their heads. Poppy placed her hand on his abdomen as she said, “My turn.”

Poppy guided him to his back, slowly crawling back up his body to their original positions. She felt his hands ghost up her thighs, the caress of his fingertips along her sides creating goosebumps in their wake, the calluses on his palms creating a delicious friction as his hands closed around her breasts. She sat straight up and placed her hands on his own, squeezing where and when he did.

She let go him and dropped her lips to his, tangling their tongues as she tasted herself on his tongue. It was sexy to know he enjoyed how she tasted. Following the actions he had done earlier to her, she made her way down his thick neck, adding in a light bite to his Balthuman tattoo.

When Tora felt her teeth sink into his brand, his hands dropped to her hips, rocking her over his hardened length. Her heat sitting right on top of him was making him lose focus, he had no thoughts running through his head. The only thing he could think about was her.

Poppy traced the tip of her tongue along the ink that covered his skin. She made sure to adorn every ripple in his abs with an open-mouthed kiss. When she reached the elastic band of his briefs she had to come up with some sort of plan; at this point, she had no idea what she was doing.

With nimble fingers, she pulled them down, Tora helping her in hopes to make this quicker. His breaths were coming in quicker knowing what was about to happen.

Poppy’s breath caught at the sight of him completely naked. The curiosity that had been burning her for a while was finally satisfied as she saw exactly how high his leg tattoo went. She knew it had come up over his hip, but inside, the line of demarcation from skin to tattoo was clear cut, ending less than two inches from the apex of his thigh.

The man was built like a god to say the least.

Flashes of sentences and phrases that she had read from some of the dirtier books she owned passed through her mind, giving her a sense of direction in what she should do. She gently gripped him in one hand, then adding the other. The girth of him didn’t allow for her to close her fingers completely, making her mouth go dry at the thought of him finally making his way inside of her. She lowered her head, keeping her back arched with her ass in the air as she took a tentative lick to the head and was shocked to taste a flavor she wasn’t repulsed by. A mix of his natural musk, the faint smell of his bodywash that still lingered, and just _him_ ; it was heady and delicious to her.

Feeling her confidence grow, she wrapped her lips around him fully. The growl that emanated from his chest made her insides melt; she made him do that. Taking him deeper in her mouth, she relaxed as much as she could, mindful of her teeth, feeling her jaw stretch to max. Poppy soon realized that he had hit the very back of her throat and she wasn’t struggling. She may not be able to take all of him, but she was proud to see how much she did with just enough of his length left to wrap her tiny fist around.

Tora couldn’t keep his eyes open to save his life. The heat of her mouth, the perfect amount of suction from her lips, the drag of her tongue, the tip of his dick hitting the back of her throat made him struggle to keep his composure. He wanted so badly to put his hands on her head, but he was nervous and didn’t want her to feel pressured.

Poppy must’ve read his mind. He felt a hand wrap around his wrist and guide it to the back of her head. His head snapped up from the pillows to find her doe eyes looking right at him. She pulled her mouth away slowly and said, “Show me how you like it.”

_Jesus. Sweet fuckin… oh my god._

Tora nodded his head, feeling her mouth encircle his dick once more. He gently pushed her down, waiting to feel her push back. When there was no resistance, Tora pushed her down a little further, watching as she pushed back to breathe. The back and forth continued, Poppy increasing the pressure while Tora pushed her faster. He could feel the buildup at the lowest part of his spine, literally making his toes curl. He wanted to come in her mouth so badly, but he didn’t know how she felt about it and didn’t want to ruin this moment for them.

As she was coming back up, Tora slipped his hand under her chin and pulled her away. Before she could say anything, he dragged her back up his body. He kissed her hard, squeezing her as his hands roamed her body from her shoulders back down to her ample ass, digging the tips of his fingers into the flesh.

“I wasn’t gonna make it with ya mouth on me very much longer.”

A coy smile pulled at her lips, making him smile in return. He pulled back from her once more before he got serious.

“Ya sure ya wanna do this?”

With no hesitation she said, “Absolutely.”

Tora rolled her to her back as he reached to the nightstand, pulling a condom from the drawer. Poppy watched, mesmerized as he ripped it open and pulled it down his length. She swore it seemed to be longer as he stroked himself a few times before laying back on top of her.

Her arms immediately wrapped themselves around his neck and pulled him to her. Sealing their lips, Poppy felt him position his length at her entrance. The moment his tip entered her she knew this was right. She was so wet there was no resistance between them. Tora took his time, letting her adjust to him and when he reached the hilt, Poppy felt full in the best way.

Tora broke away and watched as her chest rose and fell with each of her breaths. He waited until her eyes opened before he began to rock his hips. There was a voice in the back of his mind that kept telling to be easy with her, but damn if her tight pussy didn’t make him want to rail her into oblivion. Her breathless moans were growing in volume as he picked up his pace, a bright flush tinting her skin the prettiest shade of pink, her nails scouring his back.

Hooking a hand behind her knee, he hitched her leg higher on his hips, giving him more room to push deeper. Tora couldn’t hold his body up any more, he was so close but he _needed_ her to come first. He reared back and placed her foot on his chest, freeing his other hand to find that precious pearl between her hot folds.

Poppy couldn’t stay quiet anymore, her moans were getting louder and shorter, her orgasm so damn close she could taste it. The constant pressure of his fingers on her clit combined with him hitting that sweet spot was the end of it all. She remembered screaming his name as she came, but she couldn’t see anything. That blinding white she read about was real, robbing her of the view of Tora looming over her.

Tora heard his name fall from her lips and lost it. Her walls began pulsing around him, pulling his orgasm straight from his gut. His hips began to piston in and out of her so fast he couldn’t keep a steady pace, trying to draw her own orgasm out as long as he could with his vision blacking out; he couldn’t keep his will to keep breathing.

Tora and Poppy finally came back to themselves, heavy breathing the only sound in the quiet bedroom.

Poppy felt his body collapse on top of hers, hands searching for purchase on his back as pieces of her soul fell back in place. In spite of how sweaty his skin was, it was still smooth, making her focus on the present and the blissful after effects of the best sex she ever had.

It was a few minutes before Tora had the strength to push his heavy body away from the embrace of the woman in his bed. As he walked to the bathroom, he tugged off the condom, tying a knot in the opening before he tossed it in the trash. He was washing his hands when he caught a glimpse of his face in the mirror. Tendrils of his hair were plastered to his face and neck, a healthy flush to his cheeks; he twisted his back and saw the red streaks and half crescent nails marks all over his back. They were going to cause a delicious sting in the morning when he showered, he thought, as he felt himself harden again. He knew she was tired, but another head of his was trying to go for round two while ignoring his own exhaustion.

He walked back to the bedroom to see that Poppy had righted the comforter and had his side already pulled back for him. She rolled over to face him as he climbed in bed, nestling her hot body to his side. As he got comfortable, she stayed quiet, leading him to think that she was already fast asleep. When he finally stopped moving, his eyelids growing heavy, he heard he speak in a low tone.

“I love you Tora.”

He twisted his body to wrap around her, softly kissing her forehead, “I love you too Poppy.”

He couldn’t stop the last thought he had before sleep consumed him.

_She’s the joy of my life._


	17. Playing With Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, let me start off by saying that I am SO SORRY for taking so LONG with putting this update out. Y'all know my bf finally moved back to live with me out here in desert land California, so I've been spending time with him, living life, doin couple-y shit during this time of shutdown lol. Now, we're in the process of helping my sister and her husband move to fuckin Idaho of all places. And my job is still going through an inspection/audit so work has been absolutely fuckin nuts.
> 
> Second, I love y'all so much. Thanks for the continued comments and kudos for this story. Not gonna lie, I had a huge writers block for this chapter despite having it outlined already. Just wasn't really feeling it. I have the next 2 chapters outlined already, think I may work on a few more before I post the next chapter.
> 
> Shoutout to CopyPastel for kickin it with me in the comments between both of our stories. She has been busting out chapters of Staggering Forward at least every other day, like a god damn boss. I wanna be like her when I grow up, honestly.
> 
> For those that have been with me from the jump, y'all know who you are, I fuckin love y'all. I can't say it enough apparently.
> 
> I digress. Enjoy the chapter. The drill ain't changed, y'all see some weird shit, let me know.
> 
> Characters belong to LilyDusk as always, I just like fueling the fire.

_Sunday Morning…_

Tora was fighting the wake that was beginning to force his eyes to open. He was reliving a clear recollection of what had transpired the night before and refused to rise to the sun in case it was all a dream. There was nothing worse than dreaming of the woman you loved in the most intimate way, only to wake up and realize it was all a figment of your imagination; it had happened so many times at this point, Tora just assumed it would never happen and he would have perpetual blue balls until the moment happened.

When his consciousness registered the tiny movements next to him, he slowly cracked his eyes open, finding his face buried in a sea of chocolate waves. _So it was all real._ The small hamster wrapped around him had snuggled closer, her naked body folded in on itself with him plastered behind her. His arm was tucked under the pillow her head was on with the other wound tight around her waist. Maybe she didn’t snuggle closer, but instead he pulled her in tighter. Poppy let out a subtle sigh from her nose before she rolled on her back, giving Tora the best view to wake up to.

She was so damn beautiful, even with line marks across her cheek from the pillow case. The sheet had slipped down just enough for him to see her ample cleavage. Her hair was an absolute mess from their previous night’s activities. She had to have been exhausted to be sleeping as deep as she was; his thought was punctuated by a soft snore escaping her parted lips. Tora chuckled as he slowly pulled his arm from beneath her head.

As he sat up, he pulled the sheets to pool around his waist, protecting his skin from the cool air in the bedroom. He roughly raked his fingers through the mop of tresses that were covering his eyes, turning around to make sure he hadn’t woken her up with his movements. She had rolled over and taken over the warm spot he had left behind and pushed her face into his pillow while cradling it in her arms. His hand reached out on its own as he tucked some of her hair behind her ear that had fallen in her face.

As his fingers softly traced her warm puffy cheek, his conflicting thoughts had finally surfaced, popping the bubble of contentment that he had built last night.

_There’s so much bullshit goin on I can’t even think fuckin straight._

_Gotta catch this guy, keep her safe, make her happy AND keep my own fuckin sanity._

**_Ya don’t deserve any of the happiness she brings ya._ **

_I fuckin know this. All the shit I’ve had to do in my life shouldn’t taint the light she brings to this world. But I love her, I’d do fuckin anything for her._

**_Wait till she finds out how much blood ya have on ya hands._ **

_She doesn’t need to know any of that._

**_Ya really think she’s gonna give ya that sappy unconditional love bullshit if she doesn’t know everything? Ha! Ya playin ya’self._ **

_I’m better off just helping her solve all this shit and then leaving her. It’ll kill me but she’ll be happier with a normal guy. All I want is for her to be happy._

**_Good luck with that ya selfish son of a bitch._ **

Tora took in a deep breath before slowly exhaling through his teeth in hopes of silencing the thoughts that were racing through his mind. He looked back at Poppy one more time, feeling his chest ache at the thought of waking her up to deal with another day of bullshit, before he finally got out of the bed. He grabbed his phone before he strolled naked into the bathroom as quietly as he could, closing the door behind him. Lifting the seat to the toilet, he relived himself before turning on the shower. As the steam began to build, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. Besides Poppy coming into his life, nothing had drastically changed, but deep inside, somewhere in his heart, something shifted. He felt different, not as dragged down, not as hopeless and aimless. Not as alone. Maybe it _was_ just Poppy who caused such a huge ripple in his life. She was the literal embodiment of sunshine, the complete and total opposite of him, but he could see a change in him. He stood a bit straighter, the tension in his shoulders was released, if only temporarily, and he smiled. Like, a lot. His friends and family may not see it, but he sure as fuck felt himself smile a lot more when he was around his girlfriend. Maybe one of these days, they can have a conversation about if she remembered him from all those years ago. _Doubtful, but ya never know._

Tora ran through his shower routine, taking an extra step to shave the dark stubble from his face. Quincey had been trying for years to convince him to grow out a beard, but he could never get past the itchy phase of the shit growing on his face, always shaving it off the moment it got on his nerves. He rinsed his face before shutting the water off and stepping out the shower, roughly drying his hair before he wrapped the towel around his waist. He swiped his hand across the foggy mirror, creating a small strip of space for him to see his reflection as he brushed his teeth.

After he rinsed his mouth, he reached for his phone, opening his text chain with Vincent. If Poppy was still asleep when he walked back in the room, he was going to tell him that they would be there later, wanting to let her sleep as much as she could.

Just as he thought, she was still curled up under the covers hugging his pillow when he came back to his room. He stopped at the doorway and began to type the text to Vincent when he heard her start moving around in the bed.

“What are you doing?”

Tora glanced up from his phone, breathless at how beautiful she looked first thing in the morning. Her hair was an absolute mess, her face still puffy from sleep as she cleared her eyes, and with the way she held the sheet to her chest… _sweet fuck._ He felt his body melt as he watched her stretch and fully wake up.

“Well, I was gonna send a text to Vincent about being there later to talk. Thought ya might wanna sleep in.”

“No, I need to get up,” Poppy arched her back as she pushed her mane out of her face, allowing Tora a delicious view of curves silhouetted by the sheets clinging to her body. “I can take a quick shower and then we can go see him.”

Tora cleared the message and locked his phone before he tossed it on the bed as he walked closer, “Don’t push ya’self sweetheart. If you wanna just chill after everything, nobody would blame you.” He came to a stop in front of her and placed his hand under her chin, bringing her eyes up to his. His thumb caressed her chin, bringing her eyes to a close at the feel of his touch.

“It’s fine. The quicker we solve this mess, the better for everyone. Plus, I still wanted to talk about the other thing too.” Poppy latched onto his wrist and brought his hand to her lips, placing a small kiss to his knuckles. It was weird to see her do something that was typically reserved for men to do to women, but it brought out a warmth in his chest, making him smile, making his heart melt that she felt comfortable enough with him to something so small, yet so meaningful. Well, meaningful to him at least. _Fuck, she makes me feel like a kid again._ He admired the strength of his girlfriend, facing all of this shit head on. Hell, she might even give him a run for his money with how stubborn she is.

Poppy finally stood out of bed, stretching the last bit of sleep from her limbs. She bent down to grab her bag off the floor next to the bed. She heard a hiss of air from behind her, looking back to find Tora looking up to the ceiling. She had spaced on the fact that she was naked, her body on full display. After she rummaged through her bag to find clothes to change into after her shower, she straightened and placed her hand on his face, bringing him back down to look at her.

“Good morning handsome.”

She stood on her tip toes and placed a kiss on his cheek as he mumbled “Mornin beautiful.”

As she headed to the bathroom, she heard footsteps behind her. Thinking he was going to his living room, she was about to close the door when she felt it stop in its motion. She turned to see him leaned up against the door jam.

“Oh, were you not done in here?”

“Nah, I was just wondering if ya might need some help in here.”

Poppy snorted at the lustful look on his face. As much as she would enjoy nothing more than a hot shower… and then some, with him, they had more important things to do that day. She knew he was just trying to get a rise out of her, but she had a wild idea of trying to see if he could handle his own heat.

Tora watched the shift on her face, turning from surprised to playful. She was planning something and he wasn’t prepared to retaliate. He felt her warm hands slide up over his abdomen, past his ribs and up his back before hooking her hands over his shoulders.

Poppy watched as his smirk morphed into an expression close to nervous and confused excitement. His amber eyes had changed from a bright gold to a dark honey color before his pupils took over, his lips parting on a huff of breath fanning across her face; the mint of his toothpaste lingering in her nose and sending a wave of heat to roll through her despite standing in the muggy bathroom. She purposely pressed her body close, feeling him hardening beneath the thin towel that was still wrapped around his waist with a tight fist holding it together.

Tora briefly lost his train of thought as she smiled, looking up at him through her thick lashes. _Fuck,_ she was so tiny. He could easily push her up against a wall and have his way with her, have her scream his name in minutes, but he knew if he did, she would lash out at him about their schedule.

_Another day then._

Poppy ran her hands down his back as she said, “How about a raincheck on that offer Tiger?”

He stifled a groan as he looked further down past her flushed cheeks, seeing her breasts flattened against his torso, tinged a soft pink from her blush, the heat from her body blending into his own. _Fuck, she’s so goddamn beautiful._

_I know she’s fuckin with me though; if she wants to play, we can play._

Tora felt another smirk pull at his lips. He let go of the door, letting it swing back open as he grabbed her. Pulling her even closer forced her to tilt her head back to look at his face. As he lowered his face to hers, he feigned to her left ear, brushing his lips against the soft skin of her jaw before whispering in her ear.

“I can see right through ya Bobby, A for effort though,” he pulled her ear lobe between his teeth, a shudder racking through her body as he dragged a hand down to cup her ass. “Trust and believe I’ma hold you to that raincheck sweetheart.”

Poppy felt a pool of wet heat settle between her thighs upon hearing the subtle threat punctuated with a well-placed smack to her ass that had his fingers digging into the flesh upon contact. She clenched her legs together in hopes of hiding the effects he had on her body, not wanting to let him know that he won this round. Fighting a moan, she bit her lip as he placed a kiss in the juncture of her shoulder and neck. She jolted when he bit at her skin, dragging his tongue against the spot. Before she could do anything in response, Tora stood back to his full height, that same triumphant smirk on his lips. Poppy felt her knees buckle slightly when he licked them and winked at her before he turned and went back to his bedroom. Taking a few seconds to gather herself, she watched him with wide eyes as he walked around and began getting ready. It wasn’t until he turned his back towards her and dropped his towel, revealing his glorious backside, that she let out a squeak and slammed the door closed, hearing him laugh loudly from behind the door.

 _Who told me to play with fire?!_ Poppy shook her head to herself as she readied the shower, thinking about everything that was going to happen today.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tora and Poppy wasted no time making their way to what Tora called their club house. As he took them to the furthest outskirts of Moonbright, Poppy couldn't help but imagine how many different ways this conversation could go, and none of them were good.

Vincent could tell her not to worry about it, could tell her it's not his problem, or the worst: tell Tora to not be with her anymore because of whatever club reason. In truth, her options were grim to say the least.

Riding up to the club house, which, on the outside, looked to be exactly as she thought, Poppy wasn't surprised to see some of the guys out front waiting for them. Before Tora could turn the bike off, Quincey was already walking up to help her off, pulling her into a tight hug.

“How are you holding up honey?”

Poppy wound her arms around him tightly, feeling a sense of calmness envelop her as Quincey smothered her in brotherly affection.

“I’m ok, I just feel out of place and in the way of everything.”

Quincey pulled away and braced his hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eyes as he spoke confidently, “Don’t worry Pops, dad is already working to get the ball rolling on figuring out the best way to handle this god awful situation.”

Tora had finally gotten of the bike and walked up behind Poppy, placing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her to his side. He leveled a look at his brother, silently telling him to step back, “Don’t crowd her princess. She’s dealt with enough for the last twenty-four hours.”

Quincey’s face fell as he realized that he really could be too much sometimes, and now was not the time. He loved Poppy like a sister, and he loved her even more for how happy she made Tora. Being an only child had its ups and downs, one of those downs being he loved _hard_ , especially the people he came to call family. He only wanted to help her the best way he could.

Poppy saw the crestfallen look on his face and grabbed his hand, squeezing in appreciation for his care and concern.

“Thanks Quincey.”

Quincey nodded his head, squeezing her hand in return. Scharch and a man Poppy had never seen before walked up and began speaking to Tora.

“Boss is waiting for you in his office Big Bro.”

“Thanks.” Tora gave him a fist bump as he passed him. He dropped his arm from Poppy’s shoulders, instead linking her hand with his own as he led her through the door.

The club house was what Poppy had initially pictured – a basic warehouse, probably with bare minimal furniture and zero life inside its walls. Passing through the hall, she was taken by surprise by how wrong she was.

In spite of its exterior, the interior was done up, somewhat inviting in a way only a club warehouse can do. She vaguely felt her hand slip from Tora’s grip as she paused to take everything in. Along the wall to her right were two rolling bay doors, letting the members ride into an area strictly dedicated for their bikes. To her left were multiple couches, tables and chairs, and pool tables for them to use. The setup was very similar to a bar, or a pool hall. In the back corner was a self-serving bar, their shelves lined with any liquor and mixer imaginable. Poppy happened to catch a member coming from inside what looked like an industrial fridge, carrying four ice cold beers between his fingers. Raising her head to look further up, there seemed to be two additional floors. The second floor seemed closed off but was reminiscent of a hotel, doors at even intervals all around the perimeter, leading her to believe they were rooms for the guys to stay in. Part of the third floor was the same as both the first and second, but she could see another lounge area and more rooms. There was also one door on its own wall.

Tora watched as he let her take in her surroundings before he quietly spoke to her, seeing her eyes fall on Vincent’s office door. “That last door is Vincent’s office, where we’re goin.”

Poppy resumed following him, racing to catch back up to him. After walking up the stairs, she felt her heart begin to race, and not because of the light cardio she had just done. Tora knocked on the steel door before turning the doorknob, not waiting for a response. Immediately through the door, Poppy caught sight of Vincent sitting behind an old oak desk with a glass in his hand, filled with a dark brown liquid; whiskey was his go-to drink so she could only assume that was what was in his glass. Further entering the room, she felt the presence of other people before she saw them. Once the door was closed, she saw five people, including Goliath, sitting and standing to the side of his desk.

“Poppylan, dear, welcome to our headquarters.”

“Thank you.” Vincent stood from behind his desk, placing his glass down on a coaster, and met her in the middle of the spacious office, enveloping her in a hug.

“How’re you doing? Is my son taking care of you?”

Poppy laughed through her nose, feeling the fatherly role take over him. “He’s been great, don’t worry. And I’m fine.”

Vincent stared at her for a few seconds with his head tilted, patting her on her back as he spoke, “You’re lying about being fine, but I’ll let it slide because of circumstances. Let me introduce you to some people who are going to be helping us.”

The men Poppy had seen when she first walked in all stood when Vincent referred to them, forming a line as he made the introductions.

“We have A.D., President of The Aces; Beau, President of Wolfpack; Daygo and Felony, President and VP of C2C. Obviously you know Goliath, who is now President of our sister chapter.”

Tora stood a little straighter at hearing the news of his brother taking over their second chapter outside of Moonbright. “When the fuck did that happen?”

Goliath stepped up to stand next to his brother, falling a couple inches short in height and leaner in muscle. Poppy looked at both of them, taking in their uncanny resemblance. There was no denying their relation, but Goliath could never catch her attention like Tora did.

“The decision had been in the works for a while. Tango wanted to retire. I don’t know why he wanted me, but that’s what him and Vince agreed on. Majority vote and I got a new position.” Tora nodded along as his brother explained the change with an air of nonchalance. Goliath had always been a goofy kid, constantly getting himself in some shit he couldn’t get out of, but to see him in a position of power was a big step up compared to his usual demeanor of immature thoughts and misplaced innuendos.

It was the outreach of arms that made Goliath jump. He was so used to Tora always reaching to smack him, that when he was pulled into a hug, he was thoroughly confused – him and his brother have done nothing but fight for the last ten plus years. To be embraced out of “love” rather than anger or annoyance was so foreign to him.

Goliath froze, astounded by the show of affection, initiated by his brother none the less. Tora had always wanted what was best for his brother, after all the hell they had been through, after all the shit Goliath had put him through. His love always outweighed his annoyance and irritation at the way Goliath led his life, but the fuckin idiot needed to learn on his own. Hopefully, Tora thought, his position as President will put his ass in his place, humble his obnoxious ego. Knowing he struggled with expressing his emotions, Goliath took advantage of the moment, extending the moment as long as he could as he hugged his brother back. He had wanted his brother’s affection for so long, doing everything he could to get his attention – both good and bad – he felt like this hug would be the last for a long time.

“Proud of ya, ya little shit,” Goliath pulled back after a thump to his shoulders, sniffling to hide the tears threatening to show. “Don’t be a bitch.”

“Way to fuckin ruin the moment, dick head.” He scratched the back of his neck before he spun around to address the office. “So, Vincent gave us a quick rundown of what happened when we got here, but we wanted to hear the details from you two.”

“Let’s start with the night before.” Felony, a shorter Hispanic man with a strong accent spoke from the couch beside Vincent’s desk. Tora relayed all the necessary information, Poppy chiming in for the time he was sleeping, and quickly went through the details of the short scuffle between Tora and the mystery man. After describing him as best as she could, the men stared in silence for a few beats.

“So, we basically have nothing to go off on.” A.D. had taken off his head to scratch his bald head.

“We’re lookin for a ghost at this point.” Daygo looked at Felony who nodded his head in agreement.

Poppy had a feeling this meeting would be lost cause, but to hear her sentiments echoed out loud from people who were on the outside of the situation did nothing to ease her worries.

As she listened to them all go back and forth with ideas, Beau finally stood up from the seat he had taken back on the couch, scratching a hand through his beard as he looked at Poppy.

“Look, I’ma be honest with ya. I’m sorry it happened to ya kid, but ya don’t have a property patch. I’m not lending good men that I could put to use somewhere else on a wild goose chase and a hunch. This is the kinda shit you run into without a claim. Either you let Tora claim you or you accept what this life is like from the outside.”

The background conversation had come to a lull, low enough for everyone to hear what he had said to her. Poppy looked around the room and felt the rising tension, scrambling to think of a way to diffuse the situation. She could see Tora’s nostrils flared in anger at the accusatory tone.

“Putting yourself out there with Tora, in a public relationship, without a property claim is voluntarily making yourself a target. Tora is a known hit man, Vincent’s right hand. He’s made a lot of enemies over the years. I hate to say it, but I don’t sugarcoat shit for nobody. You were asking for it bein with him. You just got lucky you were together.”

Logically speaking, she knew he was wrong – she didn’t _ask_ for any of this. At the same time, he had a point. If she hadn’t faltered on making a decision, one she still hadn’t made, about the property patch, they wouldn’t be sitting here. Tora wouldn’t be stressed and more paranoid than he already was. She already felt like this whole situation was her fault, but she didn’t want to hear it from a stranger, someone who had no idea who she was or knew about her relationship with Tora, yet still made her feel like shit.

Before Poppy could string together a reply, Tora had already placed himself toe to toe with Beau. Tora was a tall man, but Beau was a _tall_ black man that had a good three inches on him, plus another fifty pounds, at least.

Tora was seething after hearing Beau place all of the blame on Poppy. None of this was her fault; if anybody was to blame, it was him and selfishness. He needed her, there was nothing in this world that meant more to him than her.

“I want you to run that shit back. Are you blaming her? Sayin this is all her fault?”

Poppy caught the annunciation of his use of “you’s” and knew that if she didn’t step in now, Tora was going to hurt Beau in some way. She didn’t know anything about Beau, but she knew Tora and was well aware of threat he posed to people.

Beau pressed closer still, leaning down to put his face in Tora’s. “I am. And you, of all fuckin people, should know how this shit works.”

“Ya son–” Tora pushed Beau out of his face, causing him to stumble backwards, before he took a step after him. Poppy jumped up from her seat in front of the desk and put herself between them in hopes of calming Tora down.

“Tora, don’t!” Poppy pressed both of her hands against his ribs, rubbing them up and down in a slow motion, as if she would be strong enough to keep him away from the other man. Tora was mumbling under his breath when he felt an arm link around his chest. He glanced down and saw a tattooed hand flat against his pec pulling him away. Goliath was trying to talk to him in his ear but he wasn’t hearing any of it over the ringing in his ears. This fuckin douche of a man was disrespecting his girlfriend and they all just wanted him to step down? Fuck that! Fuck him! He was about to get his ass beat.

But one glance at Poppy made that red haze recede from his vision, letting him think a little clearer, breathe a little easier. Staring in her eyes brought him peace like nothing else.

Poppy watched as his shoulders dropped and breathing slowed down, timed with her hands that were still moving over his sides. She briefly looked at Goliath over his shoulders and gave him a small nod before she pulled her hands away, watching as he pulled Tora away from the group and speak in hushed tones. When she turned, she found Vincent standing in front of Beau, already talking to him.

“… If you’re not going to offer men or services for helping one of our own, you can kiss our blessing and protection goodbye. Your MC exists because _I_ fucking allow it. Remember that before you speak out of your ass, especially to my men, let alone my boys,” Beau turned his head and shoved his hands dep in his pockets. “That’s what I thought.”

Vincent looked around the room and made eye contact with everyone. “I want you all to gather as many men as you can and have them meet here within the next three days. No excuses. We’ll have a joint meeting then, giving out orders where needed.” All of the men shook their head in agreeance, sharing glances between one another. “Now, I want everyone out of this office. Except you, Poppylan, stay back please.”

As everyone filed out of the room, Poppy was pulled from her daze, watching as Tora was the last to leave, giving her a wink before pulling the door closed behind him. Vincent grabbed his drink that had been left on his desk and sat in the chair next to her. He was silent as he stared into his glass.

“Tora told me you wanted to talk about the property patch.”

Poppy cleared her throat, expelling the dryness. The conversation was one she had been wanting to have for the longest time, but now that the moment was here, she was nervous. “Yeah, if you don’t mind sharing personal information like that. He told me what it meant and everything, but he also said you had the best… experience with it.”

Vincent let out a harsh laugh as he swirled the watered-down whiskey in his glass. He was silent for a few seconds before he looked at Poppy with sad hollow eyes. “I wouldn’t say it like that. Giving her that patch was probably the best and worst decision of my life.”


	18. Someone You Loved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I present to you the shittiest chapter yet.
> 
> I reread this fuckin thing over and over and over again. It sounds and reads like shit in my head. Idk if it's me or if this chapter is just THAT chaotic. But I know if I keep staring at it, I'll never post it.
> 
> So let the dumpster fire ensue. Be honest in the comments and tell me how horrible this damn thing is lmfao.
> 
> Anyways, y'all know the drill: you read some off the wall shit, lemme know.
> 
> As usual, these characters belong the incomparable LilyDusk, I just wanna put them through hell a lil bit.

_In the office…_

Poppy and Vincent had been talking in his office for over an hour, much to the displeasure of Tora. Being stuck on the outside, not knowing what they were talking about, was making him irritable. He was still pissed at Beau and being in the dark with them in another room was making shit worse. He felt his hackles raise at the thought of the motherfucker talking to his Bobby the way he did. _Who the fuck did he think he was?_

He tried his hardest to calm down, but every time he looked up and saw Beau further down the bar, he felt his jaw clench. Poppy would be pissed at him for starting a fight, but he really wanted to punch him in the face. Multiple times. Maybe with boot a few times too. Make sure he didn’t get up. If it weren’t for her standing in front of him in the office, he more than likely would have killed him. No hesitation in drawing the gun that stayed in the waistband of his jeans and shooting him right there.

**_She doesn’t know that ya kill people. Ya really want her to see that? That’ll really make her happy. She’ll really wanna keep ya around after that._ **

_Fuck my life._

Thinking of Poppy still in the office with Vincent brought him out of his dark thoughts. Hopefully Poppy got all her questions answered talking to Vincent. He didn’t know anything about his late wife except that she died and that’s why he was the way he was. She was before his time and nobody dared talk about it. He had heard rumblings over the years from some of the old timers, but nothing concrete, just whispers of the old days and how much he had changed since that incident.

Him and his brother were sitting at the bar as other members began showing up for the night. Even with it being a Sunday, many of the guys were looking to get trashed before the work week.

Tora sighed as he looked at the empty glass in his hands.

_Why the fuck is this so god damn stressful?_

Goliath looked over at the sound coming from his brother. His shoulders were bunched up to his ears and his arms were flexed like he was ready to fight his way through the bar. He hadn’t seen him this riled up in a very long time, and he could only assume it had everything to do with the brunette in the office two stories up. Chancing a punch to the face, Goliath placed his hand on Tora’s arm.

He waited for Tora to pull himself out of wherever he was in his head and look at him before he spoke.

“I know what Beau said to Poppy pissed ya off; I get it, but you can’t let it get to ya. There are more important things to worry about then wanting to put him in the ground. Ya probably feel like everything is outta control right now, but we’re all gonna help ya look for this son of a bitch and get ya lives back to normal.”

Tora looked his brother in the eye, wondering where the man in him came from. Just a few weeks ago he was “flirting” with Poppy just to get under his skin, acting the typical “Goliath Douchebag” persona that he had grown up. Now here he is giving him life advice on how to not kill a man and worry about his girlfriend. He may only be a few years younger than him, but he’s grown so much over the last couple of years.

“Thanks bro, ‘ppreciate it.”

Goliath grunted and slammed back the rest of his beer. “Enough with the mushy shit. I’m in town for a while so I plan on trying to get laid here soon. Poppy got any hot single friends?”

Tora reached out and locked his arm around his brother’s neck, squeezing until he felt him swatting at his shoulder. He let Goliath go and shoved him out of his barstool.

“I’ll take that as a no,” he coughed a few times as he rolled his neck in a circle. “Fuck man, I swear your arm gets bigger every time I see ya.”

“There’s this thing called the gym, should try it sometime with ya scrawny ass.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Poppy listened to the harsh laugh as Vincent stared into his glass.

“I wouldn’t say it like that. Giving her that patch was probably the best and worst decision of my life.”

Vincent told her all about how him and Rosaline, his wife, had met; their whirlwind romance and brief life together that was brutally ended shortly after Quincey was born.

Rosaline was the daughter of the President of the club Vincent first began riding with. Raised in the club, she knew what the lifestyle brought and what it took to be accepted as a woman. Everyone in the club knew she was off limits, but Vincent toed the line: shameless flirting while maintaining his position within the club, but also never entertaining any of the other women who strolled through the club. Nobody knew it, not even Rosaline, but he was in love with her.

It wasn’t until they were out on a ride one day and her father got into a bad accident, leaving him in the hospital to recover, that he felt the need to step in for her. The club’s VP was crossing lines and running the club into the ground; their President’s hard work at building a family being torn apart. Other members started grumbling about the way things were going but never did anything.

The final straw was when the VP held a mandatory meeting and said Rosaline’s father was no longer capable of running the club, staking his claim as the new President and forcing Rosaline into a relationship with him in exchange for him not completely kicking her out.

That night when the club met up to watch him take over the President patch, Vincent couldn’t stand by any longer. He met up with Rosaline an hour before the meeting and convinced her to ride away with him, professing his love for her and swearing on his life to do everything in his power to make her happy… and keep her safe.

That night, they rode to a town over four hours away, a place where nobody knew who they were or where they had come from. They were hidden just fine for years, getting married, starting a club of their own, giving birth to their one and only child.

One day Vincent was out doing a run with his club. During one of their stops, Vincent pulled out his pager and saw three missed messages from her. He immediately knew something was wrong; he called her back from the closest payphone. After the fourth call with no answer, he hoped back on his bike and rode back home. Pulling up the dirt road that led to their single-story house Vincent could see _everything_ was wrong. His door had been pushed in, but the inside of his home torn to shreds, blood splatter across multiple walls.

The house was eerily quiet as he searched for his wife and kid. After checking the entire house, he finally came up to their shared bedroom, finding her body mutilated and battered in their bed, clothes torn and shredded with her cut, property patch side up, laid across her face. Before he could feel any real emotions, he heard a faint cry from the inside of his closet. His fatherly instincts kicked in, forcing him to shove open the hidden door in the closet and find his son, swaddled in a blood-soaked blanket, his eye carrying a nasty gash that would surely lead to a scar for the rest of his life. He grabbed for his son, holding him close as he walked to stand over his wife’s body that was beginning to grow cold.

“I swear to god Rose,” he choked out her name, saying it as if it were the last prayer he spoke. “I’m going to make whoever did this to you… to us… they’re going to pay.”

He slowly pulled the vest from her face to find her eyes glued to the direction of the closet. He knew his wife better than anybody; her final thoughts were filled with worry over their son who she had so carefully hidden. He threw the cut over his shoulder and turned to leave only to stop as he found a message, pinned with a bloody knife, on the wall next to the door. ‘Come find us when you’re ready. We’ll be waiting.’ It was signed by the President of his old club. A life he had thought was left long behind him and his wife. He snatched the note and crumbled it in his fist, feeling hot tears rush down his face as he left his warm life behind and embraced the only two things he had left: his son and the cold heart he would carry for years to come.

After a few phone calls, waves of his men showed up to his house, none speaking to him, only waiting to be told what to do. One of his men’s wife came to take care of his son during this whole ordeal, taking him by car to another house, away from the carnage, away from his mother who he would have no recollection of as he grew up. When he felt it was safe enough for him to talk is when his personal vendettas began to take form in harsh and cold words.

“The Lost Souls MC, my old club before I started this one with my wife years ago, decided to make their presence known. My wife is dead, my son is hurt, and I want war. If you’re not down for it, I don’t blame you, ‘cause this is my personal shit. I need as many of you as possible, but I’ll make do with whoever.”

Nobody objected as Vincent laid out his plan. His MC treated Rose with the utmost respect, not because she was the President’s wife, but simply because of who she was. She took care of everyone, loved everyone. She was the brightest person Vincent had ever met, and he was lucky he had the opportunity to call her his wife, even if it was only for a short time. Shorter than he ever fucking wanted it to be.

When it came time to leave, he stayed behind, struggling with his last goodbye. Martin, his VP, had stayed with him and watched as the man he once knew left, replaced with the devil himself. Walking back in the dark house, Vincent slowly made his way through their home, looking in every room and remembering the small moments his family had throughout the house, before he finally stood in the doorway to their bedroom one last time. Silently, he said his last goodbyes, swearing to her that he would get his vengeance for her and their son. He took a lighter from his pocket and lit the corner of their comforter on fire. Closing the door behind him as he left, the grief overtook him while he walked back to their yard. He looked through their bedroom window and watched as the flames quickly spread and licked up the walls, his heart turning to ice in exchange for the warmth and love his wife brought to his life. His body was wrecked with heaving sobs as him and Martin watched for hours as the house burnt completely.

It was early dawn when they finally got on their bikes, Vincent leaving a huge part of his soul behind. It only took a week for Vincent to track down everyone that was involved. Most of the MC had no idea what had happened, their President acting on his own, and when Vincent showed up, they had no problems with dropping their own cuts and siding with him.

The death of Rosaline Balthuman marked the beginning of an era of terror and bloodshed as Vincent slowly lost himself.

Poppy struggled to keep her composure as she listened to Vincent retell one of the darkest moments of his life. She couldn’t even begin to imagine the pain he had gone through, the grief and loss, the _fury_ of no longer seeing her face every day.

“I lost the love of my life that day. I look back now and see the man I became, hurting people for no reason, causing hate and discontent everywhere I went. It wasn’t until recently when I came across this tiny little spitfire who resembled my late wife in so many ways that I realized how much of a shit person I’ve been for the past twenty plus years. My kids taking the brunt of it.” Vincent turned to look at her. “You know Tora came up to me after you stormed out of the shop?”

Poppy felt her eyebrows raise up on her forehead in shock. From the way Tora sometimes spoke of Vincent, she didn’t think they had that kind of relationship. One where he could go to his “father” with girl problems.

“It’s my fault he came back the way he did; how he’s been for so many years, and still is. He had no idea what he was feeling at the moment. You leaving only made him more confused.”

Vincent’s voice cracked at the end. He cleared his throat and took a sip of the drink in his shaking hand.

“And I take full responsibility for that.” Tears bean to stream down the man’s face, leaving Poppy to feel helpless. “I messed up raising those boys, taking out all of my anger and hatred out on them, turning them into who I was at the time, wishing I had Rosaline there to help… but that’s another conversation for me to have with them.”

Poppy contemplated on asking a tough question, wondering if she would overstep an invisible line between her and Vincent. Seeing how hurt he was when he talked about the boys’ younger years tore her to shreds.

She lost her father at a young age, leaving her grandmother to raise her, a child with no parental guidance. Having one, or both, parents present was crucial to the development of a decent human being. It was one thing to have her mother walk out on her and her father, leaving them to build a relationship based on trust and understanding and love. But then her father got sick, and once again, Poppy was left behind. Of course, she still had her granny and her cousins, but she lost out on milestones that she had planned to celebrate with her dad. Graduations, first job, her first car, getting married, kids; granny was there every step of the way, but it wasn’t the same.

Vincent lost his wife, the mother to his child. He raised boys into men, on his own. Yeah, he might have gone about it wrong, according to him, but he still put in the effort. He didn’t leave them behind to their own devices. Poppy was sure that if Rosaline was still here, the boys would be different. There was something about a mother’s love that changed a person, but the same could be said about a father’s love, as rough as it may be.

Those three men were some of the strongest men she knew, and she wouldn’t change a single thing about them. What Vincent needed to do was sit down with them, hash out their grievances and make it a point to move forward on a better foot.

“Have you ever thought about apologizing to them? About the things you’ve put them through?”

“Every day.” The tears were coming down in a steadier stream. “Now more than ever with you in the picture. I see the way Tora looks at you, talks to you, protects you; that boy loves you. But I see him struggle with his past, fighting to find the boy that I destroyed, and give you the best of him. You, my dear, bring him peace. He gets in his head and he stews in his own self-loathing, and I watch you just… be there, and it’s like he’s a completely different man. You are his other half, just like Rosaline was mine.”

He quickly swiped a hand across his cheeks, “I told him was that you are a different breed of woman; a woman that takes shit from no one, especially the ones you love. You’re brave, confident, independent, and honestly, I don’t think you need a man. Rosaline didn’t need me; you want us degenerates because you love us. That’s not something easily done but by just anyone, and we don’t ever hope to find anything remotely close to happiness like that. I told Tora to follow his heart, listen to what it tells him. Obviously, it worked in his favor seeing as how you two are together now, but now it comes down to you.

“I know you’re still torn about wearing a patch. I’m going to give you some advice I’m sure my wife would agree with. No matter if you wear the patch or not, this lifestyle comes with its own worries and dangers. That patch does not define your relationship with Tora, it doesn’t limit the love you have for one another, and it sure as hell has no power over who you are as a person. But also, a relationship is about give and take. Ebbing and flowing into each other’s lives like you’ve always meant to be together. Teaching one another what it’s like to _really_ fucking love someone for all that they are and can be. I can only hope that my boys, blood or not, find something like what I had with Rosaline.”

Vincent reached over and lightly grabbed one of her hands, “I can’t tell you to wear the patch and I can’t tell you not to wear it. That decision is strictly up to you and how you feel about Tora and the life he lives. Not that you need it, but just know that I support you both, whatever you decide to do.”

Poppy soaked in his words as she sat and watched him shed a few more tears. There were things she knew that Tora hadn’t told her. He’d never mentioned anything about growing up, what it was like to be adopted, how his teenage years were. In actuality, neither one of them had sat down and talked about their childhood in depth. With what Vincent had just told her, she can see why Tora was so aloof when it came to the man. He didn’t give her details, but she could only assume that the way he raised the boys hadn’t been the greatest.

“Do you regret giving Rosaline a patch?”

Vincent studied the inside of his glass for a few quiet minutes before he spoke, “The only thing I regret is not making it back to her and my son in time.” He threw back the rest of his watered-down drink and leaned forward to set the glass on his desk. “There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

Poppy twisted and faced him in her chair, the wistful look in eyes now gone, a seriousness replacing it.

“I don’t think Tora might have put this together yet, but to me it’s a valid question. Do you think your ex would have anything to do with this?”

She was startled at the question. Julri didn’t have a harmful bone in his body; quite the opposite, he was actually very spineless. At least, that’s what she thought up until he showed up at the bar drunk. Now, she couldn’t say for certain whether he might actually be capable of something like this. All he ever did while they dated was gaslight her, make her feel small, and obliterate her self-esteem. None of the things he’s done recently would she have ever claimed to be part of his personality.

“I wish I could give you a for sure answer, but I honestly don’t know. With the way he acted that night at the bar, I would say yes, but the man who broke into my apartment was most definitely not Julri.”

Vincent nodded his head, but held his tongue in saying that he didn’t quite agree with her. That was going to be brought up in their meeting in the next couple of days.

“Uhm, Gil told me I didn’t have to go back to work until I was ready, but I don’t want them to be short a person for too long.”

Vincent shook his head vehemently, “Pops, I really do think you should avoid the bar until we get this situated. You working puts you in a really vulnerable position for hours on end, especially when the bar gets busy. I know Tora tries not to, but he does lose sight of you sometimes. We’ll pay you for as long as it takes.”

Thinking of her friends working and possibly being in danger made her sick to her stomach. “Do you think everyone else at the bar is going to be safe?”

“It was a very clear attack on you. I don’t think they’ll go after anyone there, but we’ll have someone posted up there as long as someone is in the building.” Poppy nodded along, feeling out of her element. Vincent saw the glazed look in her eyes and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I want you and Tora to take a few days to your selves. There’s going to be someone on watch the entire time you’re at the shop, and you’ll have at least two men with you if you want to leave.”

Their private bubble was soon busted as the door flung open. Tora walked over to her, bending down to kiss her cheek before cutting his eyes over to Vincent.

Tora took note of the glassy sheen to his adoptive father’s eyes, the puffiness, and a red tint to his cheeks and nose. _Was he crying?_ He felt his brows draw down in confusion as he stared at him, but Vincent shook his head, silencing any questions he might have asked. He turned back to his girlfriend – _that’s still so fuckin weird to say, MY girlfriend_ – and she looked just a little better, but could still see the signs of tears lingering in her face. Tora had no clue what they could have talked about to make them both cry, but he knew it was something monumental if it broke Vincent Balthuman down.

He held his hand out to Poppy and helped her stand from her chair. “We done here?”

Vincent made his way back behind his desk as he spoke, “Keep her hidden, make sure she wants for nothing while you watch over her.”

Tora rolled his eyes, “No shit.”

“I don’t need the fucking attitude right now Tora,” Tora flinched at the icy tone of his voice. It had been a while since he had used that kind of voice with him and it made him feel like a child again, not necessarily in a bad way either. “Just do what you’re told and we’ll handle everything on our end. I’ll call you when we set up the meeting.”

Tora felt Poppy clasp his hand a bit tighter in her own, pulling his attention away. She smiled up at him, derailing his thoughts.

Nothing in this world would ever compare to her smile. He couldn’t tell her enough how beautiful she was, inside and out. And she loved him. _Him_. No one else. He’d go through hell for her, just to see her smile. As long as she was happy, there was no better feeling for him. She was it for him.

Vincent studied the way his son looked at the woman beside him. Poppy was his world now. No matter the decision she made, he knew Tora wouldn’t feel any different about her. His only worry was Tora having to ever go through what he did. The boy he raised into the man standing before him would self-destruct worse than he did and that was a dangerous thing to think about. Vincent prayed to whoever was listening that nothing ever happened to those two.

Tora squeezed Poppy’s hand in return before looking back to Vincent, pulling back on the attitude in his voice. “Call me if you need me.” Without waiting for a response, he pulled Poppy from the office and headed back down to the entrance they first came through earlier that morning. It wasn’t until they were outside, just short of earshot from the guys who were hovering around, that he said anything to her.

“Did ya get the answers ya wanted?”

Poppy nodded, “Mhm, I did. We can talk about it when we get back home.”

Tora grunted and shoved his empty hand deep in his pocket, swinging the other hand that still held Poppy’s between them. He leaned down a dropped a kiss to her lips, needing to feel more of her.

Poppy saw Goliath, Quincey and some of Tora’s guys standing around and waiting for him when they finally made it back to where they parked earlier. All of the faces looked familiar except one, a guy who was hovering just behind Goliath, his shock of pink hair making him stand out. Tora and the guys exchanged words, making plans and setting up ‘rotations and shifts.’ Poppy quickly tuned them out, staring at Tora in what would be his natural element.

He was smart, quick-witted, resourceful, and most importantly – he was a good listener. She could see everyone going back and forth in their discussion, but Tora never once made everything about him, saying it had to be done his way and his way only. He took in what everyone had to say, adjusting here and there where necessary. He was aware of her still by his side, rubbing his thumb along the backside of the hand he held in own, not trying to hide her of shelter her from the reality that was now her life. He made sure to include her in their plans, even though she wasn’t exactly paying attention.

Goliath clapped his hands, bringing her back to the present. “Ok, seems like we got it all planned out for the next few days. Pops, do you want us to grab anything from your place that ya might want?”

Poppy’s eyes were torn away from Tora at the sound of her name. She quietly shook her head in response and Tora caught the glazed look in her eyes. This was a lot to take in and she was being a fucking champ about it all, but he could see that she had just about reached her limit.

“Everyone has their orders, call me or Goliath if there’s a problem.”

Tora led Poppy to the bike, handing over her helmet. Efficiently, both of them strapped up and headed back to Tora’s apartment. Poppy glanced back behind her as they left and watched as some of the guys fell in behind them and the building got smaller, leaving behind the bereft feeling she had after hearing Vincent’s story. As they rounded the corner onto the main road that led back home, Poppy turned back and placed her hand on Tora’s thigh, feeling herself beginning to come back into her own headspace as he laced his finger with his own.

_Things are going to be ok._

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He ducked as a glass was thrown in his direction, shattering into a million tiny pieces against the wall behind him. The man who had hired him was in a foul mood over the botched snatch of the girl. He admitted to fucking it up, but the glass throwing was a bit unnecessary.

“You had one fucking job! Are you that fucking dumb?!”

He stood straight up from his crouched position, leveling a glare at the man in front of him.

“I told you I fucked it up. My bad. But I can get her. I just need a few more days to plan it.”

The man paced in front of him, the soiled dingy motel bed behind him a rumpled mess. He didn’t know why he wanted the bitch so bad, but he was starting to dread these meetings and phone calls with him. Every time they talked, he sounded like he lost a little bit more of his mind.

“Get your shit together. I’m giving you one more chance. That’s it. Because of your failed attempt, they put her under surveillance. There’s someone with her at all times.” He stabbed both of his hands through his mess of brown hair, pulling rough at the roots. “She’s too good for them. They’ll ruin her if she stays with them much longer.” The man trailed off, mumbling to himself as he paced the length of the room. When he came back from his ramblings, his eyes were unfocused and wide. “Bring her to me. I need her and she needs me. She’s in danger with them. I’m her best option. No one but me would want her after this.”

“Yeah, ok.”

“And make sure not to hurt her. Fuck everyone else, I don’t care what you do with them. If you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”

“Sure.” _Fuckin psycho._


	19. Here To Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'ALL!
> 
> I fucking love each and every one of y'all. Let me start off by saying that your words of encouragement and genuine feedback mean a lot to me. I haven't gone through the comments to respond just yet, but I will tomorrow, I promise. Also, let me clarify: I wasn't trying to rag on my writing, for those who said you don't like seeing me talk bad about myself. I see, acknowledge, and understand where y'all were coming from, but that's not what I was doing. I was Just being honest with myself.
> 
> Next, don't ask where I got the energy to write yet another chapter today, but I did. Just know I do it because I love y'all.
> 
> ALSO, fuckin comedy ensued in the comments. Y'alls theories as to who the creeper is cracked me the fuck up. I got so much joy out of reading them lmfao. I'm saying this now though, I'm not responding to those because I know myself and I WILL give it away hahaha. So keep up the theories, but I ain't sayin shit cuz *SPOILERS* and I'm evil like that. Muahahahaha!
> 
> That evil laugh was lame as fuck.
> 
> Anyways: the drill, know it, love it, do it.
> 
> As fuckin always, these characters belong to the queen, LilyDusk, I'm just giving them a slice of life right now. Won't last long though.

Poppy and Tora made it back to his apartment later in the afternoon with some of the MC following behind them. The couple didn’t spare too much attention to them as Tora parked the bike, him quickly inhaling a cigarette as Poppy responded to a text from Erdene asking if she was going ok while she waited for him. Not wanting to linger for too long, they quickly said goodbye to everyone and headed upstairs.

Once the apartment door was opened, Tora unceremoniously threw himself on his couch, releasing a pent-up frustrated sigh as he rested his head on the back of the couch, his arms covering the span of the back cushions. Poppy toed off her shoes and walked in behind him. Bent slightly at the waist, she placed her hands on his jaw and kissed him, their tongues dancing with one another shortly, feeling him relax further under her hands.

He needed to breathe easy, if only for a few stolen moments. Poppy lightly dragged her blunt nails across his neck and pulled a growl from his chest. She pressed the pads of her fingers into his chest, the barest amount of pressure making him sink deeper into his couch.

He turned his head away with a smirk on his face, “Ya tryin to put me to sleep?”

“Looks like you need it anyways,” Poppy mumbled as she moved her hands from his chest to his hair, pulling the hair tie from his locks and watching as it all fell and created a black curtain against the brown couch under his neck. She pushed the hair tie around her tiny wrist and gently combed her fingers through his hair. For a few minutes, she looked at his face and laughed to herself as he fought to keep his eyes open. Finally, he gave up, his body going into a full slump on his couch.

Poppy kept up her ministrations as she watched him fall deeper asleep. She had watched him sleep before, but seeing him now – how stressed and worn thin he was – made her appreciate him all the more. Everything he’s been doing for her, for them, making her fall in love with just that much more. The peace and content she saw in his face gave her a moment to finally think on her own after everything she had heard earlier from Vincent.

She had to be honest with herself. This was no simple decision, at least for her. There was so much unresolved trauma from her wasted relationship with Julri. That tiny pathetic man made her feel so small, unworthy. He was narcissistic and abusive. He took full advantage of her weak will and need to keep those around her happy. Those days where she had looked forward to seeing him, only to have him cancel last minute, making her feel so damn unimportant. Everything was more important than her, and god forbid if she told him how she felt… _“I’m sorry you feel that way but it’s not my fault…”_ or _“I don’t know why you’re angry with me when you’re the one who…”_ or her personal favorite _“You’re making all that money and you can’t do this for me? After everything I’ve done for you…”_

He was never one to show her off. He kept her hidden from his friends and family. She met his parents once, and it was awkward, uncomfortable to sit there and be talked about like she wasn’t sitting right there at the dinner table. She had to bite her tongue so many times, wanting to tell them about her aspirations, but all Julri did was talk for her, like she was an invalid. When they asked about her hobbies, Julri pushed past the question, telling them that they would find it boring, that _she_ was boring.

_Who the fuck tells their parents that their girlfriend is boring?!_

It didn’t matter anymore. Yeah, she definitely still needed to work through the rest of her pain, but the vast majority of her scars were healed over. And it was all thanks to the sleeping giant beneath her hands.

Poppy sighed and pushed the downward spiral of thoughts out of her head, glancing at the leather that was still against Tora’s back and shoulders, his patch hidden within the couch cushions, but still exuding so much power. The power that came with responsibilities and consequences.

If he gave her a patch of her own, would he hold that power over her? Would Vincent? Can she really debase herself for a man _again_?

_Tora is not Julri._

Does she want to run the risk of being in a relationship that could crush her soul? Did she want to gamble the progress she’s made from her first shit show of a relationship?

_Tora is not Julri._

Can she really give this man her whole heart, plus some, and trust him not to destroy it?

_TORA IS NOT JULRI!_

Poppy was so deep in her thoughts, eyes unfocused, that she hadn’t realized her hands had stopped running through Tora’s hair. As soon as her hands had stopped moving, Tora woke up. With his head in its position against his couch, he could see that she wasn’t really _there,_ as much as she was just simply standing in a room. He reached up and gently tapped his finger to the tip of her nose, startling her out of her thoughts, her eyes widening and coming back into focus.

“That hamster wheel was spinnin’ kinda hard Bobby. Whatcha thinkin about that’s got ya zonin’ out like that?”

With Poppy looking down at her boyfriend, all of her worries now seemed trivial. Valid because there was no denying the severity of her decision, but with Tora… there was no need to overthink. For the short time they had known each other, and even shorter time they had been together, he’d had multiple chances to assert himself over her. He didn’t.

_That’s why I love him._

“Nothing, we can talk about it later. Do you want to go back to sleep?”

Tora knew it was important, but if she wanted to wait to talk, then he could wait. Kinda. Not really. He sure as fuck wasn’t going to pressure her though.

“Nah, that little cat nap was fine. Just come sit next me.”

Poppy yelped in surprise as he reached over him and cupped her under her arms, easily lifting her over his head and across the back of his couch. She tucked her legs as high as she could to not knock her knees or her feet into the back of his head, giggling at the idea of what they looked like to someone watching them. It always astounded her with how strong he was, lifting her as if she weighed nothing.

Tora placed her in the vacant spot next to him, giving her time to make herself comfortable in her new position. She tucked her legs beneath her before she looked at him, tilting her head to the side, studying him. He was about to say something when suddenly her breath caught with a squeak and her face flushed, from her hairline, down past her face to her neck, in a bright red color. Suddenly her eyes got wide and she turned to face the opposite side of the couch, away from him.

Tora chuckled to himself as he thought, _who’s the perv now Bobby?_

He attempted to place a cool mask over his face but failed as a smile continued to pull at his lips. He reached over to pinch her cheek, “Whatcha thinkin about over there, Bobby? Ya face is all red?”

Poppy pulled his hand from his face, rubbing her own against her cheek in attempt to hide the blush.

“Nothing.”

“Ya can’t lie to save ya life kid.”

Poppy sighed and felt her shoulders slump, “Fine. I was thinking about how stressed you look and how I haven’t seen you do more than frown over the last two days, except for when you… when we were… uhm…”

Tora thought about what she was talking about, wondering what she had going through her mind to make her so embarrassed. He felt his brows pull down over his eyes briefly before they shot back up his face in realization.

“When we were in bed?”

Poppy nodded and looked at him through her lashes as another wave of red-hot embarrassment washed over her face.

“Of course, I’m not gonna frown when I’m with ya. That was the best sex of my life sweetheart.”

“Oh.”

Tora could see the doubt begin to creep over her face. He didn’t know what the fuck her dick of an ex did to her, but what he _did_ know was that he would do anything to make her feel anything _but that_ , whatever feeling it was that made her think she wasn’t worthy.

He opened his arms wide, beckoning her to his embrace. Poppy slinked her into his lap, careful of her hand placement, but stopping short when she heard a crinkle from the inside of his pocket as she put her hand against his thigh.

She cocked her head to the side, “What’s in your pocket?”

“Paper apparently.” Tora sounded as confused as she felt, lifting his hips from the couch and digging a hand deep into his pocket. He pulled out a crumpled square of folded paper clenched in his fist. “Fuck, I totally forgot about this.”

“What is it?”

“Some note Alice slipped me last time at the restaurant.”

Poppy sat back on her haunches, her legs folded beneath her butt, “You never read it?”

“Nah, been a little preoccupied with other shit,” Tora watched her head drop on her shoulders. He hadn’t meant to say it to hurt her feelings, it was just the truth. He grasped her chin in his hand, rubbing his thumb against the soft skin of her jaw. “Just been emptying my pockets every night and then shove the shit back in the next morning.”

He kept his hand on her face as he put the note against his leg, trying to open it with the other. Poppy saw him struggling and pulled his hand from her face, beginning to stand from the couch when he caught her hand.

“Where ya goin?”

“Well, for starters, you’re struggling to open it with one hand. Second, I figured you’d want some privacy. The note is for you, not us.”

“I ain’t got shit to hide though. Just stay next to me?”

Poppy paused, narrowing her eyes before she sat back down next to him, this time angling her body to not be over his shoulder. She _was_ curious as to what the note said, but not enough to hover over him; if he wanted to tell her, he would.

Tora unfolded the note further, looking at handwriting that was clearly not Alice’s; he had worked with her for long enough that he knew her chicken scratch just as well as he knew his own. Confusion overtook his features as he began reading the note.

_Hi Tora!_

_Alice told me to write this note because she said you don’t take change very well. Whatever that means. Anyways, you’re probably wondering who I am and what I want. My name’s Ulaan, I’m 15 and I’m pretty sure I’m your little brother. Mom took me from Narin and dropped me off at some youth home out here in Moonbright a few months ago. When I got there, some lady told me I looked like two kids that used to be here a long, long time ago. Then one day, Alice showed up and took me away, saying that I was going to live with her from now on. When we got here to the restaurant, she told me that I looked just like you when I was your age. She showed me a really, really old picture of you with orange hair and some guy with blue hair? Alice said his name, but I forgot it. But does that mean he’s my brother also because he has the same eyes too? I thought she was joking, but we have the same color eyes! I’ve never met someone with this weird color. I get made fun of for my eyes all the time and it really sucks. But you walk around like it’s nothing, and that’s super cool! I’ve seen you a few times when you come by the restaurant, but I was too nervous to talk to you. You’re actually kinda scary looking since I never see you smile. Anyways, Alice told me that writing a note would be easier for you. She used a lot of big words that didn’t make sense, but I think she said you would get emotional or something like that. Said that you would need time to process it? I don’t know what that means either. Well, I’m sure you feel weird about all of this. But if you want to talk in person, I’ll be ready. Alice said I can stay for as long as I want, but I have to work and go to school. I think school is super lame but I like Alice so I gotta go. She told me that you would come by when you’re ready. Anyways, I’m excited that you got the note. Have a good day!_

Tora was stunned into silence.

Never in his wildest dreams would he have ever thought of having a family bigger than the one he had now. Hell, Goliath and Quincey were more than enough sometimes when it came to his brothers. It had always just been them, but now there was another brother?

It fuckin hurt to think like this, but what if the kid was lying, just hoping to get a leg up in joining the MC? He couldn’t fight the little bit of hope in his chest that it wasn’t true, that he was the real deal. There might be another little boy, just like him and Goliath, but who had a brighter fuckin future than him and his brother. He wanted to call Goliath so badly and tell him… but he needed confirmation before that. Goliath might play it off, but that asshole was sensitive.

Looking back on that night when Tora had first seen him, he realized his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. He had caught a glimpse of the kid’s eyes just days prior, but he thought he was seeing shit. In his note, he said he got bullied for his eyes, just like Tora did when he was younger. You can’t pass that off, can’t make that shit up.

The note sparked the first feeling of excitement since meeting Poppy again. He could feel his hands begin to shake and his breath come in shorter. He itched to get to the restaurant, but he didn’t want to seem too excited just to have it torn away from him if it was all a lie.

Poppy watched as a myriad of emotions flashed over Tora’s face. She desperately wanted to ask what the note was about, but she was patient and would wait for him to talk to her. She sat next to him for quite a while before he looked to her with a slight sheen to his eyes.

Concerned, she asked, “Is everything ok?”

“Yeah, I just…” Tora couldn’t string together his words, instead, silently handing her the note that hand been clenched in his hands.

Poppy gently took it from his stiff fingers, watching as he flexed his fists and rubbed the palm of his hands down his leg repeatedly. With her eyes, she asked for permission to read the personal note, waiting for a minute head nod from the man beside her.

Tora watched on as she moved her lips, reading the note to herself. He knew where she was in her reading when her eyes widened, lash lines filling her brown eyes with tears, her tiny hand covering her mouth that had dropped open on a small gasp. When she finished reading, she carefully refolded the note, following the crease lines that were already made, and held it in her hands.

“Holy fudge babe, you have a little brother?”

“I-I don’t know. I’m gonna have to talk to him. Did ya see his eyes?”

Poppy shook her head, remembering that night and noticing that she didn’t pay any attention to the boy. “I didn’t think to look, I’m sorry.”

He waved off her statement, his anxiety making his mouth run dry as words spilled out with no conscious path. “Nah, it’s fine. But there’s nobody else with eyes like me and Goliath. Honestly, I have no fucking clue what to do.” He sat forward quickly, balancing his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers together in front of his face. “Like… if I go, what the fuck do I say to him? How the hell do I even start a damn conversation with the kid? He’s fucking fifteen! I’m twenty-seven. Goliath is twenty-five. That’s a big ass age difference. And what if he’s wrong? How the fuck do I handle that?! How do I tell a fucking kid, a child, that he got his hopes up for nothing? Or! Or… what if it _is_ all true, what do I tell Goliath?” He ran his hands through his hair, just noticing that it was no longer pulled into a bun on the back of his head. He turned to ask Poppy for his hair tie and caught a startled expression on her face. Realizing his ramblings were not normal, he understood why she looked the way she did. “Sorry.”

“No, you don’t have to apologize. I get it. This is a big deal, true or not. All of your fears, your questions… they all make sense, they’re valid. I just wish I had answers for you.” She shuffled her way behind his back, sitting on the back of the couch and pulling him between her legs. Gathering his hair in her hands, she finger-combed her way through some of knots. “I’m an only child, I don’t know what it’s like to have siblings. I’ve seen the way you interact with Goliath and Quincey. It may not be the best,” Tora snorted from below her. “But that’s just how you talk and act around one another. Maybe your best bet is to just… be real and honest with the boy. He seems smart, from his note, but at the same time, he’s still young and impressionable.” She started pulling his hair from his face and onto the top of his head. “What about talking to Goliath before you talk to him?”

“I would, but I don’t wanna get his hopes up,” Tora closed his eyes, thinking about some of the conversations they had when they were growing up. “Goliath used to always say he wanted to be a big brother. He may act like a hardass, but he’s fuckin sensitive. I just wanna make sure it’s all true before I tell him.”

Poppy finished putting his hair back in the bun he had earlier, only to feel the hair tie snap in her fingers. She pulled the elastic band form her own hair, a girly strawberry tie, and wrapped it within his raven locks. “Well, that settles that part.” She placed her hands on his shoulders, “The next question is: when do you want to talk to him?”

Tora lifted a hand and felt the fruit bobble on the hair tie she used, thinking to himself that now he had a part of her everywhere he went.

He twisted his neck to look at her over his shoulder, a faraway look on his face as he thought of all the horrible shit he had been through by the time he was the kid’s – Ulaan’s – age. Working with Alice put him on the fringe of MC territory, far enough away to stay out of trouble, but still close enough to be influenced. There was nothing wrong with riding for an MC, technically… just not for his MC.

“You think I should do it sooner rather than later?”

Poppy bent down and kissed his cheek, “I can’t make that decision for you. Just know that I support whatever choice you make.”

He laced his fingers in her loose hair, bringing her down to his lips by her neck, silently thanking her for her fucking _love_ and support and trust to handle this shit the only way he knew how _._

“Lemme call Alice and see if we can ride by tonight.”

“Oh,” she scratched the back of her neck, bashful in her demeanor. “You don’t have to take me with you. I can keep myself busy so you can have some alone time.”

“Fuck you mean? Bobby, it’s not that I want ya there, I _need_ ya there.” He looked away from her, shame coloring his cheeks. “What if I fuck it up? What if he hates me when we’re done? Ya keep me sane; maybe I’ll say the right shit if ya go with me?”

The stark worry in his eyes made her chest hurt. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll go with you, but you talk to him by yourself. I’ll hang out with Alice during it all.”

“Deal.” Tora spared no hesitation in giving her an answer. “Lemme go call her and see if the kid is working today.”

Tora got up from the couch and strolled to his bedroom, pulling up the restaurant number from his contacts. He brought the phone up to his ear, listening to the ringing reverberate in his ears as he sat on the edge of his mattress. He caught the sound of a distinct click before hearing a young man’s voice on the other end.

“Alice’s, Ulaan speaking, how can I help you?”

“Uh…” His tongue felt like it weighed a ton, the words sticking to the roof of his mouth. “Hey. Kid. It’s Tora.”

“Oh, hi! How are you?”

“Uhm, I’m good. You?” He felt his face scrunch up at the lame ass response he gave.

“I’m doing pretty good. Did you need to talk to Alice or did you want to place an order?”

_How the fuck does he sound so happy?_ Tora was relieved that he didn’t ask him about the note and when he would come to talk. Felt good to not be pressured to do something that was way out of his realm.

“Yeah kid, put Alice on the phone if ya can.”

“Ok, hold on.” There was a dull echo of footsteps in the background before he heard Alice as who it was. “It’s Tora, he said he wanted to talk to you.” The rustling sound of the phone swapping hands made him anxious, wondering what Alice would say to him.

“Whaddya want Tiger?”

Tora waited for her to exhale after the sound of her vape pen overtook the speaker. “The kid gonna be there tonight? Thinkin I might come by and… talk. Or whatever.”

There was silence on the other end, Tora thought the call had dropped. “Yeah, he will. Want me to set up ya usual table?”

“Please.” He cringed at the eager tone to his voice.

“This musta really thrown ya off if I got a please outta ya.”

Tora rolled his eyes at the teasing in the old woman’s voice. “Can it lady, I’ll be there after seven tonight. Have some green tea ready while ya at it.”

“Yeah, yeah it’ll be ready. It’s been slow these last few weekends so I’m sure I’ll be fine without him while ya talk. Ya bringing the little lamb?”

He huffed out a breath in annoyance. “Her name’s Poppy, and yeah, I am.”

“Don’t huff at me ya little shit.” He heard her vape pen again. “I wanna talk to her myself anyways.”

He grunted as he nodded, remembering she couldn’t see him. “Ok, I’ll see ya later then.”

“Yeah.”

Before Tora could say goodbye, she had already hung up the phone, like she usually did. A brief glance at the time on his phone as he brought it away from his ear told him it was just half past five, giving him time to mentally prepare himself for either an addition to his family or a potential let down.

He kept to himself in his room for another thirty minutes, running through potential questions for the kid, before he came out to find Poppy sitting in front of his guitar in the corner of his living room, playfully plucking at the strings as she hummed a random tune. He watched her for a few minutes before he walked over to crouch behind her, leaning close to her ear.

“Ya sing Bobby?”

Poppy jumped out of her skin when she heard, a hand flying to her chest as she felt how close he was, feeling his body heat roll off of him in waves. She stuttered over her words as she tried and failed to steady her racing heart.

“Uhm, kinda. I’m not all that great, but I’ve been told I can carry a note.”

“Mmm,” he rubbed his hand along his jaw before continuing. “Learn something new every day.”

“I guess so. Do you actually play or is this just decoration?”

“I’ve been told I can carry a tune.”

Poppy felt her jaw slacken as she rolled her eyes, “Wow, you’re so original.”

“Gotta keep ya on ya toes Bobby.” His shoulders shrugged in nonchalance, his hand landing on her shoulder and bringing her into the shelter his body created.

Poppy laid a brief kiss on his lips before she asked, “Did you decide on what you wanted to do?”

“Yeah, gonna talk to him tonight. We gotta leave here soon though.” Poppy bobbed her head along as he talked. “Lemme call around and see who can ride with us tonight, then we’ll leave, ok?”

Throwing up a mock salute, her hand landing on her forehead, she said, “Aye aye captain!”

Her silliness made him chuckle and reach to pinch her cheek.

“Fuckin cute ass hamster.”

Poppy roughly pushed his hand from her cheek, “Keep pinching my cheeks and watch what happens mister.”

“Ha! Ya think I’m scared of some baby ass hamster teeth?” He stood up and gave her his most sarcastic smile.

“It’s not my teeth you should be worried about.” She looked down at her hands and flicked an imaginary piece of dirt from under her nail, looking back up at him with a blank face.

Tora threw a cautious glance at the small woman still sitting on his floor. There was a glint in her eyes that he had never seen before and it made him slightly nervous, but in a good way.

“Whatever you say Bobby. Lemme make this phone call, then we’ll ride out.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tora had just slid the door closed behind him and Poppy when Alice popped her head around the corner from the kitchen, pushing aside the cloth partition that acted as a door.

“I’ll be with ya in just a second.”

She ducked back into the kitchen without waiting for a response from the couple. Behind them, the door opened as Gyu and Damien, the new VP of their sister chapter, followed in behind them. Tora silently pointed to an empty table that faced the door and the men simply nodded and took their seats.

With a flourish, Alice came out with a cleaned up Ulaan behind her. Poppy stepped to the side as Alice brought the kid up to the towering man behind her. Tora made it a point to have his hair completely pulled back, showing off his eyes, silently communicating with the kid that he was open to whatever was about to happen.

Alice brought the shy kid to stand in front of her, her arms stretched up to clasp around his shoulders as he kept his head down. He was barely a few inches shorter than Tora; he said he was fifteen, which meant he wasn’t done growing. He would probably be as tall as him when he finally maxed out. He was still on the scrawny side, but he had the potential to be as big as him, if not, lean like Goliath.

“Tora, meet Ulaan. Ulaan, this is Tora. That’s all the help ya get from me.” She clapped her hands against Ulaan’s shoulders. “Now go upstairs, Poppy and I will bring the food shortly.”

Tora looked down at Poppy, receiving a wink before she stood on her tip toes to kiss him on the cheek. He kissed her forehead in return before he looked back at Ulaan.

“Let’s go kid.” He sounded gruffer than he intended, but he made up for it by placing his hand on the back of the kid’s neck, gently guiding him to his usual table.

Poppy watched as they walked away, already seeing a resemblance in their mannerisms and physical qualities. She turned as she heard Alice clear her throat, catching her attention.

“Let’s get those boys fed. We have our own conversation to have while they talk.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Poppy knew Alice was the closest thing to a grandmother for Tora, she had expected a conversation like this eventually. She only hoped that she made it to Alice’s expectations.


	20. Family Affair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late night writing leads to no snarky comments in the beginning notes lol, just an apology for this taking so long. I've had some weird ass weather here in Cali that throws off our routines here on the farm and is requiring some repairs to the property. And now me and the boyfriend have to figure out how to help my side of the family in Texas. Rough times dudes... 
> 
> Anyways, this chapter is a lil bit shorter than the others. BUT! This is a pinnacle moment for the plot, so prepare yourselves for some real angst in a few chapters.
> 
> As always, these characters belong to LilyDusk, I'm just giving them a ray of sunshine before the shit storm that brewing in the background.

Tora watched as Ulaan tried to fold his lanky body under the low table he typically occupied. Seeing him try to grab a handle on his body, like a newborn learning how to walk, brought back memories of him at his age as he learned to carry his height before he started packing on the weight. Growth spurts were his friend and his enemy as a teen; most other kids left him alone, but the bullies knew he had nothing going or him at the time, constantly trying to fuck with him.

One summer he asked one of the older guys who rode for the club to take him to the gym with him, show him the ropes, tell him how to get big, _stronger._ He spent months in the gym over the summer, doing the absolute most to make sure nobody could fuck with him anymore. When school started back up, everyone noticed a difference. He was left alone… at least at school.

That was the year Vincent shifted Tora’s entire outlook on life. The boy he was before, simply tired of being picked on by other kids, morphed into a monster in just one day, never to look back on who he left behind.

Tora closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose and focused back on the kid. Ulaan finally managed to put himself in a somewhat comfortable position, his hands folded together on top of the table.

Tora leaned back against the wall behind him and crossed his arms over his chest as he studied the kid’s face.

His hair was just as black as his and Goliath’s, though his was still dyed blue, had been for years. He almost had the height, but he was young still, definitely had some more growth in him, bare minimum another four inches, maybe even six. His skin was just a shade lighter than his own, but Tora rode without sleeves during the summer, the sun tanning his skin over the seasonal months. Ulaan had his cheekbones and brows, but Goliath’s nose and lips. The dead giveaway was most definitely his eyes. They were the exact same shade him and his brother’s eyes. Of all the people he had met over his life, nobody had even come close to having an eye color similar to theirs.

But here’s this kid, seemingly out of nowhere, with features that resembled his own.

Tora looked back down at the kid’s hands clasped tightly together. His knuckles were white, the skin pulled taught against the bone, belying his nerves.

“Relax kid, no reason to be nervous.”

Ulaan’s eyes snapped up to the man in front of him. He had been excited about meeting him. Been dreaming about it since Alice had brought him back from the youth home. Now that he was sitting in front of him, he was nervous as heck.

Alice had made him pull his hair back, saying that it was important for people to see your face when you’re talking, but that was his way of hiding. He hated his eyes, people always told him they were creepy, or made them feel uncomfortable. So, he grew his hair out and kept it in his face. The only time he pulled it back was when he was in the kitchen where nobody but Alice could ever see him. Seeing Tora walk in with his hair pulled back made him feel better about it, a little, but he didn’t look as cool as he did.

Tora had no idea how to help him with his nerves. For years, he just ignored his own sensitivities and pushed through them. Now, he was numb to a lot of things. It wasn’t until Poppy cropped up in his life that he started feeling shit again. He thought about what Poppy did to help him when she felt like he needed it; she touched him in some way. Holding his hand, touching his back or his arm, his thigh, something. But would the kid be ok with that?

_Fuck it._

Tora reached over, stuttering in his movements. and placed his hand over both of Ulaan’s. The span of one hand covered both of his, but not nearly as big of a difference as it was compared to Poppy’s hands. He wondered how she saw and felt things like this when she tried to help him. To her, everything was seen in a light that Tora had snuffed out in him a long time ago. But now… Felt weird to touch someone with no malice behind it, with the clear intention to help. Somehow it didn’t feel completely unnatural for a guy like him.

Ulaan was scared to move and ruin the moment. The genuine patience from Tora helped to ease the nerves, dissolve the lump that had been stuck in his throat since he was downstairs, and he felt his own hands begin to loosen. As he opened his mouth to speak, Alice and Tora’s lady friend came up the stairs with trays of food and drinks. He felt Tora’s hand leave his own, cold air replacing the warmth from his palms, as the food was placed in front of them all over the table.

Looking on as Tora watched the other lady was kind of weird, he felt like he wasn’t supposed to be in on their moment, but the way she smiled back at him was nice. No girl ever looked at him like that, they always said he was weird. If Tora can get a girl, so could he. Tora reached out for Poppy’s hand before she left, giving it a squeeze and kiss to her knuckles before she pulled away.

“Ya boys want anything else?” Alice placed her hands on her hips, looking down at the display of food they had just placed on the table, seemingly pleased with the expanse of nutrition she had put before them.

“No ma’am.” Ulaan cracked open a set of chopsticks, looking from plate to plate, deciding on what to pick from first.

“Tiger?”

“Nah, we’re good. I’ll let ya know if somethin comes up.”

Alice nodded her head once before she guided Poppy back the way they came down the stairs. Tora watched Poppy’s form until she disappeared around the corner and back into the kitchen with Alice. As he turned back around to Ulaan, he caught the kid staring at him.

It was uncanny to look at someone with his and brother’s eyes, something he had never imagined before. There was an anxious feeling in his gut as he thought of all the burning questions he wanted to ask. He didn’t want to scare him though.

He reached down and opened a set of his own chopsticks, “Take ya pick on what ya wanna eat. I eat everything on the menu so I’m down for whatever ya don’t want.”

Ulaan smiled and pushed his sleeves up to his elbows. “Ok, cool.”

The boys began loading their plates with different fishes and side dishes from around the over filled table. Tora took notice that Ulaan was avoiding the vegetables and sticking to just premade sushi rolls, some sashimi and some of the appetizers.

“Oi, eat the veggies.”

Ulaan paused with a slice of salmon partway to his mouth. “I don’t really like them though.”

“Tough shit,” Tora shoved some of the bean sprouts in his mouth along with piece of Yellow Tail, chewing around his words. “Gotta eat em if ya wanna get bigger.”

“What makes you think I wanna get bigger?”

“Ya note,” he swallowed before he continued, not bothering to look up at him. “Said people were talkin shit about ya eyes. Get bigger and they won’t talk.”

Ulaan never thought that being bigger would make mean kids leave you alone, but now that he thought about it, all his bullies were shorter, yet beefier than him. If it only took some muscle to get them to leave him alone, then he’d eat all kinds of vegetables.

Tora watched as he set down his first plate and grabbed another specifically for vegetables. He let a chuckle slip from his chest as he shoveled food in his own mouth.

They were working on their third plates when Tora had felt like the kid looked a bit calmer compared to earlier. He cleared his throat, catching his attention as he set his chopsticks down beside his plate.

“So… I’ma be real with you kid.” He leaned forward to prop his forearms on the table, fidgeting with the napkin he had pulled from his lap. “I have no clue what the fuck I’m doin with you.”

Ulaan nodded his head. He had no idea what he was doing either, but it felt nice to know that an adult was just as confused as he was. “That’s fine. I’m sure this is a shock to you. I mean, what old guy wants to know he has a possible teenage younger brother?”

“Who ya callin old ya little shit?” Tora felt a little miffed at being called “old.” Hell, according to some science bullshit, he was in his fuckin _prime._ He had no idea what the fuck it meant – it was just some shit Quincey kept telling him when he would try to get him to go on blind dates before Poppy came along.

“Well, how old are you?”

“Twenty-seven!”

“Oh,” Ulaan’s shoulder shrugged and brought a twitch of irritation to Tora’s eye. “Thought you were older.”

_I’m not even fuckin thirty yet for fuck’s sake! There’s only twelve years between us!_

Tora took a deep, calming breath through his nose and closed his lids, rolling his eyes behind them before he continued talking. “Ya mind if I ask ya some personal questions?”

Ulaan shrugged his shoulders, “No, go for it.”

With the green light given, Tora felt tongue tied. There were a million and one questions he could ask, but none of them would leave his lips, the words stuck in his throat, suffocating. Ulaan looked up from his plate and saw the struggle on Tora’s face.

“My full name is Ulaan Yeke and my mom’s name is Haruka Yeke. I was born in Narin City. I don’t remember my dad, but I know he was there for a few years before he left me and mom. There were some pictures of him in our apartment before we went to a halfway house, but I don’t know where they are now. Mom couldn’t keep a job and we lived in a really crappy area. One day, mom left and I found her behind the house arguing with some guy. Heard him say that if she couldn’t give him something, he was going to hurt me. The next day, we got on a train and came out here. I didn’t know what was going on. We got to the youth home and she handed me over. Before she left, she told me that when I was older, I could come find her, and maybe by then I would have a family. I don’t know if she was referring to you or what, but that was the last time I saw her. I know I’m just a kid, but I don’t blame her for putting me there.”

Tora admired the strength the kid had at such a young age. When he was his age, he was already bitter and worn out from life. The only thing that kept him going were his brothers. This kid basically had nothing, but he just kept going.

“Anyways, I spent a few weeks there before Ms. Idori told me about you and your brother, when you guys used to live there. I asked her how I could find you, but she didn’t know. She said that Alice would, so she called her. Alice showed up the next day and said that she would help me as long as I worked for her. Sounded like an even trade to me so I came here. Been here for a few months, seen you come and go a few times, but I never really paid any attention to our similarities, I just thought you were huge. One day, Alice told me that you were the guy I was looking for. I almost ran up to you and just spilled my guts out like a girl, but she stopped me, saying I would make you uncomfortable. That’s when she suggested I write the note and she would give it to you for me. And she did, now here we are.”

Tora was speechless after listening to the kid’s story. It wasn’t nearly as rough as his, but still no better. His life was a definite struggle in its own way and he couldn’t knock that. The kid talked about it like it was second nature to him. He was _strong_ and _smart_.

“That’s rough kid. I’m sorry you had to live life like that, but you’ll be taken care of. Alice knows what she’s doin.”

“It’s fine. I know some kids had it worse than me, still do.”

_Fuck._ “That’s some grown up shit to say.” Tora rubbed the back of his neck, trying to hide the disappointment he felt. Thinking of the ways him and their mother had to struggle. He wasn’t a hard man to find, people in Narin City knew who he was. She could have easily asked a few questions to find him, surrender the kid to… well, maybe not him exactly, but to Alice directly. Not just dropping him off at a youth home.

_At least he_ got _a goodbye, we didn’t get shit._

“Do you uhm… have a picture of your mom by any chance?” Tora couldn’t bring himself to say “our” when referring to the woman he barely remembered. He still harbored some harsh emotions in regards to her and he didn’t want to ruin Ulaan’s last memories of her.

Ulaan nodded his head as he lifted his hips from the floor to dig in his back pocket. He produced a flimsy wallet with a few bills in the pocket and picture right in the middle.

“This is her. Alice said you were young when you got sent to that youth home. Do you remember what mom looked like?”

“Kinda…” Tora took the extended picture from his hands and looked at a woman who now vividly flashed through his memories. For most of his life, he could never pinpoint a feature of the woman he knew as his mother, but seeing her photo brought back flashes of times when he was a child, happiest when in his mother’s arms with his brother somewhere in the background. Seeing her only made shit more real.

Ulaan was most definitely his brother.

“Well, shit kid, looks like your family just got a hell of a lot bigger.”

“Really?” Ulaan felt tears spring to his eyes. He had tried so hard to keep his hopes down, but looking at the hulking man across from him all night just felt right. There was some sort of weird connection he had felt towards him the moment he saw him walk in the restaurant for the first time. At first, he thought it was simply admiration. Tora was the dream guy every man wanted to be and every woman wanted to be with. He exuded confidence Ulaan had been dreaming of having. Sitting in front of him was different. It was deeper than just admiration. It was the connection he felt with his mom, a familial bond. They may not know each other very well, but this wasn’t something you could just deny. He knew that spending time and really getting to know him would only make this feeling stronger.

“Your older brother, Goliath. He’s in town right now. Wanna talk to him?”

“Will he be as cool as you?”

Tora let out a deep laugh, thinking of his shit head brother across town. “Fuck no, nobody is as cool as me, be he is pretty close.”

Tora stretched out his leg and reached deep into his own pocket to pull out his cell phone, pulling up a text chain with Goliath.

**Tora** : _what’re ya doin right now_

**Shit** **Head** : _drinking, what else would I be doin 🙄_

**Tora** : _whatever 🖕 go find an empty room upstairs and call me. gotta talk. it’s important._

**Shit** **Head** : _fuck, ok hold on_

Tora looked up from his phone and smiled at the kid, “He’s gonna call right now.”

Within seconds, Tora’s phone began to vibrate in his hand, his brother’s nickname flashing across his screen with his ugly mug as his icon. He swiped to answer the call and brought it to his ear, placing a finger against his lips to tell Ulaan to keep quiet.

“Is everything ok? Poppy and you safe? Where are you right now?” Goliath sounded out of breath as he let the string of questions just pour from his mouth

“Jesus fuck, slow down. Soundin like Quincess for fuck’s sake. I’m fine, we’re fine. We’re at Alice’s. Got Gyu and Damien down stairs.”

“What the fuck is so important I had to be alone on the phone with you?” He paused before gasping on the other end of the line, lowering his voice to a dramatic whisper, the smirk in his words clear as day. “Are you secretly into gay incestual shit?”

Tora pinched the bridge of his nose in aggravation, beginning to regret callin him at all. “Swear to fuck Goliath. I’m punching ya in the face when I see you.”

“Then what’s with all the secret squirrel shit?”

“Got somethin to show ya and I need ya to not freak out. And don’t fuckin tell anyone.”

Goliath was silent for a few seconds, so quiet that Tora thought he had hung up.

“Switch to a video call?”

“Yeah.” Tora pulled the phone from his ear and waited for the call to switch. When he saw Goliath’s face appear on his phone, he schooled his face to show no emotion.

“I know you think you’re God’s greatest gift to women, but show me what the fuck I need to see. There’s a bottle of Jack downstairs with my name on it.”

Tora pulled his phone to chest level, burying the camera in his shirt while crooking a finger at Ulaan and pointing to the empty spot beside him. He crawled to sit next to Tora and when he was comfortable, he brought the phone back up, keeping Ulaan out of the picture.

“Ya ready?”

“If I don’t die before this big fuckin reveal. Just get to it dammit! Who’s actin like fuckin Quincey now?”

Tora put the phone in Ulaan’s hand and watched as the kid scrambled to think of what to do. He raised his hand in a small wave, awkwardly smiling into the camera.

“Tora, you shrank! Hahaha no seriously, who’s the kid?”

Tora took the phone back and placed it up against a bottle of soy sauce on the table as a stand, back far enough to put both of them in the frame.

“Goliath, meet Ulaan Yeke. He’s your younger brother – our younger brother.”

Goliath looked back and forth between the two of them before they watched the phone fall from his grasp, tumbling to the ground and giving them a view of his boots. He struggled to pick the phone up again and when he came back in view, he was pale. The tattoos that were visible against his normally tanned skin now stark black lines against a sickly shade of light brownish green. Goliath looked ready to puke, honestly.

“Did you say younger brother?”

“Yeah.” He reached over and ruffled the kid’s hair, bringing him a little closer to Tora’s side.

“As in we share the same parents?”

Tora could see that Goliath had gotten up from his seat in the bedroom, now pacing the length of it as his background blurred.

“At least the same mother, don’t know about the sperm donor.”

Goliath stopped his pacing and grew quiet, looking off to the side in deep thought. Suddenly, he snapped back to the camera, his brows furrowed deep into his forehead.

“When the fuck did you find out?!”

“Today. You really think I would hide something like this from you?”

“Fuck…” His brother roughly ran his hand over his lower face. He squished his cheeks together as he continued his pacing, only slower this time around. “You said you were at Alice’s.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m on my way now. Don’t fuckin leave!” He hung up without saying bye, making Tora and Ulaan laugh at his antics. He smiled down at the kid beside him, still astounded at the sheer thought of having another brother.

“Looks like you’re meeting your other brother tonight too.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Poppy could hear Tora’s laugh from the second floor. She felt the smile take over her face as she thought of the what could possibly be making them laugh so loud. She had been spending the night helping Alice run the restaurant. Not knowing how to make anything on her menu, she was left with at least helping to cutting whatever was needed, taking food to the few customers that were there, and doing the dishes.

Besides Gyu and Damien hanging out in the corner, the last customer had just left, giving Poppy a chance to sit for a few minutes in the kitchen by herself. Her small reprieve was cut short though as Alice came up and sat next to her on one of the high standing kitchen stools.

As she exhaled her long drag from her vape pen she said, “So little one, what are ya intentions with my Tiger boy?”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He watched the couple walk into the restaurant. He had been sitting out there in a van for an hour now, listening in on all the noise of the place through the little headset over his head, focusing on one conversation that had caught his attention.

When they were done talking, an insidious smile had graced his face

He pulled out his burner phone dialed the only contact saved.

He listened for the usual ring back and waited for the click of the line being answered.

“I think I have a way to pull this off. And it’ll benefit both of us in the best way possible.”

“Oh yeah? And how is this supposed to happen?”

He took a drag of his cigarette, the embers creating a sickly shadow against the scar along his face, flicking the ashes out of the cracked window.

“I broke in the joint owned by that old hag a few days ago and placed some mics around the place. Been listening in whenever he shows up. They both came by tonight and I just heard some really good info that’ll help us.”

“Just get to the fuckin point.”

He rolled his eyes. Any time he got a phone call from the guy, he had to entertain his bullshit. God forbid he returned the favor.

“There’s another brother. He’s just a kid. But if I can snatch him and the girl, we can kill two bird with one stone.”

The line was quiet as he took in the information. He was about to pull the phone from his ear to make sure he didn’t hang up by accident when the other man finally spoke.

“Grab the kid first. We’ll tell Poppy about it, lure her away from _him_. She’s a fuckin martyr and will come for the boy, thinking she can save him. Then we’ll have them both and that bitch, Tora, can try to save them both. We’ll kill him and the kid, which will be good for you, and I’ll get Poppy. Win-win situation for everybody.”

“Sounds good to me, I’m down. I’ll figure out how to grab the kid and call you with a plan by Tuesday.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I STILL DON'T KNOW HOW THE FUCK TO WRITE TEXT MESSAGES 🙃


	21. Family Affair Pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anotha one.
> 
> Ok, for real though, I had loads of time today so I decided to churn out another chapter. This is still short compared to the others, but if I made it longer, it would throw off my flow. (IDK if that's true, I just wanted to sound like I knew what I was doin, kinda cool? lol) I hope y'all enjoy it.
> 
> Also, I'm deleting "chapter" 9, so when y'all read this and it says chapter 21 again, don't trip. It was just a life update from last year, but it's throwing me off when I write and then post cuz it's off by one chapter. I'm just nitpicking lol.
> 
> CopyPastel, you're fuckin amazing. Thank you for reaching out to me on IG and checking up on me and my family. I have sincere appreciation for you. If your curious, my IG is @stfsbro. I'm not cool like other writers, so I don't post cool inspiration stuff pertaining to my fic, but if ya wanna be friends that's cool too lol.
> 
> As always, these characters belong to LilyDusk, I'm just throwing a monkey wrench in their alternate lives.

_“So little one, what are ya intentions with my Tiger boy?”_

Poppy tilted her head as she coolly regarded the older woman next to her. The question was usually posed to men, father’s asking young men about what they were doing with their daughters. Never would she had ever thought that the question would be asked to her about a man she was dating.

Alice looked at her as she thought over the question. She didn’t honestly mean to get a real answer out of her, it was meant as a joke to break the silence, but she seemed to be seriously contemplating an answer and Alice was curious to hear it.

The older woman got up and grabbed a dusty bottle of sake from her shelf along with two small glasses. She poured each of them a glass, holding her own out to Poppy in a cheer. They clinked their glasses and Alice was shocked to see the ease at which Poppy swallowed her liquor with no face afterwards. Merely from the two times she had met the girl, she had seen a quality or characteristic that was an extreme opposite of Tora.

Poppy was sunshine and flowers whereas Tora was doom and gloom. He sipped on his green tea while Poppy was throwing back shots like water. Tora exuded an air of being an apex predator, yet Poppy was nothing but harmless prey… with an undercurrent of her own version of a predator. They were essentially Yin and Yang. They were balanced, the other half of one another. Alice couldn’t have picked a better person for Tora to be with.

Poppy peered into her empty shot glass as she worded her answer, the introspection of her relationship with Tora bringing forth words she had never thought to be put together. “I love him, Alice. I honestly think I would do anything for him. Well, actually, I _know_ I would do anything for him, but I still doubt myself, a lot. There are moments when I feel like he could do so much better than me,” She set the glass down gently and cupped her hands around her forehead. “He could be happier with someone who’s cut from the lifestyle he lives. Someone who knows what his life is like, how he deals with everything and how to handle the aftermath and the downfall and everything in between. Someone who doesn’t question a property patch and the value it holds. That’s not me; but I know I can, and do, bring out a side of him that’s been hidden for so long.” Tears began to catch at the corner of her eyes. Poppy had no idea why talking about her feelings for him made her so emotional, but it was cathartic to release it all, especially given the times. “He’s gone through so much, Alice, you would know better than anyone, but every once in a while, I catch a glimpse of the man I know he is inside. _That’s_ the man I fell in love with. This biker personality of his… it’s just a façade, a mask. Yeah, it’s who is he is now, but I know he can be more than what he is now.”

Poppy suddenly dropped her hands to the counter in front of her, “Either way, we make one another happy. That’s all I want; for him to be happy. Because that’s what he deserves.”

Alice kept her expression blank as she listened to Poppy. It wasn’t until the end that she felt her eyes begin to mist up. She pushed her round glasses to the top of her head, the nose pieces snagging in her mess of white hair, while quickly trying to expel the tears with rough swipes to her eyes with her gnarled knuckles.

“Ya know little one…” Alice paused as a reel of memories rolled through her mind: seeing Tora be himself outside of the MC, laughing with his friends as they all ate their weight in her food; coming back from school to do his homework and help her around the restaurant just to go back and study late into the night; him talking to Joe about things she knew nothing of and bonding over a life her son no longer lead; watching him retreat into himself as he built a stone wall around the boy he used to be as he grew up in the MC; coming home covered in cuts and bruises and broken bones and stab wounds; covering his scars in the ink that now graced his skin; looking at the shadows that followed him for the years to come; how he finally closed himself off completely to everyone when her Joe died.

Poppy was exactly what Tora needed to find himself again. According to her, they both needed to find themselves. Some people needed to do something profound and life changing like that on their own, and others needed guidance and help from a support system. These two were made for one another. They synced so beautifully. Any worry she ever had for Tora could now be quieted, never completely gone though, with Poppy in the picture. Her new worries would be Goliath, and Ulaan if he followed his brothers. She had hopes that each of them would find someone like Poppy, someone who could quell the demons they carried.

She would never tell them just how much she cared for them though, she had to keep up her tough act. If it worked for so many years, why bother changing it now?

Alice reached over and grabbed Poppy’s hand, clasping her one tiny hand in between both of her wrinkled ones. “You are in for a wild ride with that boy in there. He didn’t choose this life; it was made for him. Thrust upon him with no regard to his choices. He has demons, insecurities he refuses to acknowledge. But… but you two together is _right_ ; I don’t wanna hear nothin about someone tellin ya otherwise. Ya got problems, ya fix em. Together. It won’t be easy, but I have faith in ya both. Stay strong, especially with that stubborn jackass.”

Poppy giggled at that last sentence, knowing first-hand how stubborn he could really be. With her free hand, she poured another glass of sake for the both of them, enjoying the light feeling the conversation left her enjoying.

Alice gave her hand a few pats before she reached up to bring her glasses back down her nose, “Now, when are ya gonna pop out some tiger cubs for me and your grandmother?”

Poppy was mid swallow when the question was asked, causing her to suck in a startled breath and choke on the sake halfway down her throat. As she coughed up the liquor, Alice gave her some rather strong and forceful smacks to her back to help ease the coughing fit.

Before she could ask about how she knew her grandmother, the women heard the rumble of a bike pull up right outside the door. Alice walked out of the kitchen in time to see Goliath rush through her sliding door, slamming it behind him hard enough to bounce it, not closing it all the way in his hurry and barely sparing her a glance.

Alice crossed her arms over her chest as she yelled out, “Where the fuck do ya think ya goin?”

Goliath paused with one foot on the bottom step, ready to launch himself up the flight of stairs. He turned and flashed the old woman his best smile, walking back to slip behind the counter where she stood tapping her foot. He placed a kiss on her cheek as he held her by the shoulders.

“How’s it hangin old lady? Surprised ya ain’t croak yet with how fra-”

Before he could finish, Alice swung to smack him on the side of the head with her fan that had been hidden within the folds of her robe, the dull thud echoing through the empty restaurant.

“I ain’t that damn old.”

Alice could hear the snickers from the boys sitting in the dark corner and a light giggle from Poppy standing behind her, a hand over her mouth to cover the laughter. Goliath reached up to rub a hand roughly around the swelling bump on the side of his head as he glared at the tiny woman peeking around the corner of the kitchen.

“Get outta my face ya little shit, ya brothers are upstairs.”

Goliath took off without another warning, hopping the counter instead of taking the time to lift the piece of wood separating the rest of the restaurant from the kitchen. He knew if he stuck around any longer, he was bound to get hit again knowing how his mouth always got him in trouble with the crazy woman.

Alice looked back into to the kitchen and saw the small smile pull at Poppy’s lips as she stared in the direction Goliath just ran to. Tora was enough to handle just by himself, but now with an extra brother to bring all three together, Poppy was going to have her hands full dealing with them. Alice chuckled to herself as she imagined the three in the next few years, visiting one another and bringing hell with them wherever they went.

After taking another drag of her vape pen, she pushed Poppy back into her kitchen. “I wanna know what it was like for you growing up. Humor an old woman while the boys get better acquainted.”

Poppy suddenly remembered that Alice had mentioned knowing her grandmother. “Wait before that, I want to know how you know my granny.”

“Alright, I’ll tell ya. We met back in the fifties…”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tora knew when Goliath had pulled up, the loud bike breaking the quiet atmosphere of the restaurant. Ulaan had been talking about some of the kids he was friends with in the youth home, still visiting them on his days off over the weekends.

When the sliding door downstairs slammed, Ulaan stopped talking as his eyes went wide. Tora could see he was getting nervous again.

“Don’t freak out kid. Goliath is smaller than me so if he says somethin stupid, I’ll just fuck ‘im up.”

Ulaan laughed, but was cut short when they heard the tell-tale sign of Alice’s fan smacking someone. Both boys cringed at the sound, fully accustomed to the pain related to the noise.

“Bet ya five bucks Goliath was the one to get hit.”

“I wouldn’t bet you; I know it was him. She wouldn’t hit your lady friend.”

Tora cocked his head to the side at the old term, “Lady friend… you mean Poppy?”

“Yeah, I didn’t want to assume she was your girlfriend, so I just said lady friend. You looked real friendly, but who knows what adults do, ya know?”

He chuckled at the kid’s perception, noting how it wasn’t tinged with the ugly shit the world brought in life.

“I ’ppreciate that, but she is my girlfriend.”

Tora didn’t fight the smile as he thought of the woman downstairs. He tried to imagine Alice hitting her with her fan, but all he could see was them ganging up on him to get smacked instead, snorting at the image of both tiny women climbing him to bring him down to their level.

_Yeah, no way it was Poppy that just got hit._

Before Tora could say anything else, Goliath’s footsteps could be heard pounding against the floorboards, and before long, his blue hair popped around the corner, grumbling with a hand rubbing the spot where Alice had no doubt hit him.

“That bat is so fuckin old but she still swings like she did all those years ago.”

Tora shook his head, admonishing his brother’s words. “Maybe if ya didn’t mouth off, ya wouldn’t get smacked.”

“Yeah yeah yeah.” Goliath walked over and dropped himself in an open spot between him and Ulaan. After settling himself, he looked from Tora to Ulaan and back. The playfulness in him disappeared as he continued to go back and forth between the two, finally stopping on Tora. “Fuck dude… he looks just like us.”

Tora simply nodded as he looked between Goliath and Ulaan. They for sure all had the same mother, but none of them knew who their fathers were, _if_ they were even the same man. Tora told Ulaan to show the picture of their mother. Though Goliath was young when they were put in the youth home, his recollection of her wasn’t very good. So, when Goliath took the picture in his shaking hands, Tora knew he was struggling with his emotions.

Any time the topic of their childhood, before Vincent picked them up, was brought up, Goliath would react in one of two ways, depending on his volatility that day: either he would have an outburst of anger, which would then lead to him getting piss fuckin drunk, or he would shut down and shut people out for a while; when it was the latter, Tora wouldn’t hear from him until he was ready.

Goliath gave the picture back to Ulaan, running an unsteady hand through his hair. “So, how did this even happen?”

Ulaan ran through his story one last time, catching Goliath up to the point where they were at now. Goliath picked at some of the food that was left on the table as he listened, nodding his head every few words. When Ulaan was finished, Tora could see some of the signs of Goliath being angry.

“Before ya say some dumb shit, ya better chew over those fuckin words sittin in ya mouth.” Tora pointed a finger towards Ulaan, “Don’t lash out at him for somethin he had no control over.”

“I’m not mad at him. I just wanna know why she had to give up yet another kid? If she couldn’t take care of the first two, why have another one?”

“She probably had her reasons.” Tora sighed as he saw where the conversation was going. Once Goliath got on a roll, there was no stopping him from talking shit about the woman.

“Yeah, and her reasons were bullshit. Stop fuckin sticking up for her Tora. You don’t know her from some random broad on the street.”

Ulaan’s head kept flipping between his brother’s, wondering where such a difference of opinion came from. They weren’t that far in age, at least that he could tell, but if they got dropped off at the same time, why did they think so differently about their mother?

“I’m not sticking up for her, I’m bein a fuckin adult about all of this shit. Ya got a fifteen-year-old kid who got dropped off at a youth home and just found out he’s got two older brothers he knew nothing about. How the fuck do ya think he feels about all of this? Maybe stop worryin about ya’self for once and think about someone else.”

Goliath sucked at his teeth as he leaned away from the table, balancing his weight on his hands behind his back and on the floor. He looked at Ulaan and saw how he had retreated into himself. Goliath sighed and raked a hand down his face.

“So, what do we do with the kid?”

Tora felt his upper lip curl in confusion, “Whatcha mean?”

“Like who’s gonna take care of him?”

“The fuck? He’s stayin here with Alice. What the fuck do we look like takin care of a teenager? We’re bikers in case ya forgot. Not exactly stellar role models.” Tora picked up his tea and polished it off. “Alice has him in school and he’s got a job here. Far enough away to not get pulled into our shit, but close enough to keep an eye on him. Help him if he needs it.”

Ulaan felt himself smile at the fact that he would be seeing them more often. He was always envious of other kids with siblings and wondered what it was like to have a big family. Now he’s got _two_ older brothers who were cool as heck. They were bikers, had lots tattoos, lived really awesome lives. Maybe one day they could teach him how to ride a motorcycle; he had always wanted to learn anyways, now he had two more reasons to do it.

“Hey, just had to ask. I don’t know how I would feel having a teen in my place back in the city. Too many women comin through, don’t wanna be a bad influence.” Goliath winked at Ulaan who flushed red at the innuendo, making him duck his wide eyes.

Tora growled and reached over to punch Goliath in the chest, the force of the hit knocking him off of his hands to fall backwards and he fought to catch his breath.

“Fuckin tool,” he shook his head as he turned to Ulaan. “Anyways, I live out here, so if ya ever need anything, call me. If I’m not workin, maybe we can hang out on the weekends or some shit.” Tora held out his hand, wiggling his fingers in gesture. “Gimme ya phone.”

Ulaan handed over the device and watched as Tora saved both his and Goliath’s number in his phone. Besides Alice’s number, those were the only two contacts he had in his phone. Tora kicked Goliath under the table, raising his free hand to flip his middle finger up to as he snapped a picture and made it his icon. He turned the camera around and quickly snapped a picture of his own face for his icon. Tora handed his phone back when he was finished and Ulaan flipped back and forth between the two, still amazed at the fact that he had met his brothers and was beginning a new relationship with them both. He thought that maybe his stay here wouldn’t be too bad.

“What do you guys do for work?”

Tora’s brows raised up on his head, not exactly prepared to answer the question, but spewing the automated response he gave to everyone else.

“I work as a mechanic and tattoo artist here in town, Goliath runs a casino out in Narin City.”

“That’s cool. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I graduate, but I do know I like art.”

Ulaan thought of all the filled sketch pads in his room, some holding haphazard papers from other books in between its own pages. Maybe he can find an art store in town and buy some more supplies with his next check.

“Well, ya got a few more years to think about it. What kinda art do ya do? My girlfriend paints.”

“Oh, it’s nothing special. I just kind of doodle random stuff.”

Tora could see the kid caving in on himself, self-conscious of interests. He knew what it was like to not want to talk about yourself, worried about people judging you for your interests, so he didn’t bother pressing the topic.

Reaching into his back pocket, Tora puled out his wallet and tossed some bills on the table, knowing it covered the cost and then some. He saw Ulaan reach into his own pocket, likely to pull out money for himself, but Tora stopped him.

“Ya don’t pay when ya with me.”

“It’s ok, I can pay for my part of the food.”

“Not a chance in hell kid.” Goliath sat up still rubbing his chest where Tora punched him. “There’s no such thing as fightin that big motherfucker when it comes to payin food bills.”

“Oh.”

Tora chucked as all three of them got up to leave the table, placing his hand in the same spot on Ulaan’s neck and pulling him in close.

As they walked down the stairs, Tora could hear Alice and Poppy giggling in the kitchen. Quickly ducking behind the counter, he pushed past the curtain for the kitchen. When the women looked back to see him standing in the doorway, they paused in their laughter.

“What’re ya laughin about in here?”

Poppy broke out into another laughing fit with a piece of paper held in her hands. Walking closer, Tora could see it was a picture of him as kid, standing in the very same kitchen he was in now. He had a horrible dye job that left his hair orange and he was covered in food. He remembered that day.

He was trying to carry out food to the back for him and Alice to eat for lunch and Joe popped around the corner and scared him, causing him to trip over his feet and spill the tray. Alice had come in after hearing her dishes break, finding Joe laughing with tears in his eyes and pointing at him. The picture, though, was of him and Joe on their knees with their arms above their heads. Tora was still covered in food, but Joe was red faced from running away from Alice as she was trying to beat him with a broom. She succeeded because Joe had two huge knots on the top of his head. Tora felt the ring and bracelet heavy and warm against his hand as he thought of the man who was a father figure to him.

Thinking of the kid in the other room, he felt a stir in his heart as it skipped a beat. He wouldn’t let Ulaan go down the path he did. He would be what Joe was for him, before he was taken from him. He would do everything he could to make sure he never wanted for anything, had the things Tora wished he had growing up. He was going to make sure he took advantage of every opportunity given to him to prove that he was worth a damn, not like Tora or Goliath; he had a future.


End file.
